Spelt, lentil and quinoa trivelline with vegetables, tofu and pistachios

20 / 08 / 21

Trivelline Sgambaro di farro, lenticchie e quinoa con verdure, tofu e pistacchi

Recipe by Elena Mazzetto

When travelling, I often pause to think of how discovering new flavours, colours and combinations can be of help. Cooking teaches us many things and one of the things that I’ve learnt is that putting new ingredients and flavours together makes it possible to enjoy it in a whole new way. Like when something good that you never expected happens.

One of the things that is often lacking is letting yourself go also in the kitchen. The fear of trying, possibly thinking “It is too much for me” or “I can’t afford this ingredient”.

How many times have we heard a little voice demotivating us when trying out a new recipe, because the ingredients were too many or because we wouldn’t really know how to ‘manage’ that meal? I hope a few, but perhaps unfortunately that is not the case.

So, let’s start working on this aspect. Let’s start crushing at bit of what society wants to make us believe is right for us and instead to look for what really is. Let’s start understanding together that we have every right to choose for ourselves what we prefer to put in our plates while clearly listening to our own needs.

One often thinks that eating intuitively means making things randomly, but it is not.

Knowing foods can be of help in order to be aware of how to fulfil our needs, to understand, for example, in the case of choosing a plant-based lifestyle, if we are introducing foods from all food groups in accordance with our hunger and satiety.

Knowing foods to act according to what is more beneficial for us.

Today in particular, I would like to reflect on the variety of cereals. The same three cereals are very often consumed: wheat, rice, corn. Wrong? No. There is no such thing as right or wrong in the absolute sense. But what could be beneficial in varying them? For example, discovering some new flavours, not getting bored of what we put in our plate, introducing some different nutrients than usual.

However, the idea of introducing cereals in different types of grains is not always to everyone’s liking, so we can experiment other solutions: breakfast cereals (oak flakes, puffed quinoa, spelt flakes, etc.), different types of bread (spelt bread, rye break or buckwheat bread, etc.), and also pasta made from different cereals than usual.

An example is the different types of pasta that Sgambaro provides us to choose from. In particular, I am referring to the proposals of monococcum spelt or dicoccum spelt and those of spelt, lentils and quinoa, a mix of cereals/pulses that is also an excellent source of protein (18% vegetable protein). We are presented with solutions that really please everyone, both young and old, and kill two birds with one stone, as the saying goes.

On this occasion, I have come up with an extremely simple recipe that is also convenient to take with you to work, the beach, mountains, lake or swimming pool! Cold pasta, ideal in summer and rich in flavour and colours. One of those dishes that is appealing to see and delicious to eat!

I chose the spelt, lentil and quinoa Trivelline, this time, part of the Sgambaro Organic Label.

It is a type of pasta I like very much and is already complete in terms of protein, because it also contains lentils and quinoa.

It cooks in six minutes and several portions can be prepared to also have them ready for a couple of days in a row: minimum stress, maximum yield!

Ingredients (serves 4)

Sgambaro Organic label spelt, lentil and quinoa Trivelline (it is my opinion to let you dose the amount according to how hungry you are. Since it’s a cold pasta dish, I always recommend cooking extra since the leftover is also delicious the following days)

1 aubergine

2 courgettes

1 yellow pepper

1 small onion

Yellow and red cheery tomatoes (2 handfuls)

A few basil leaves

1 garlic clove

Oil and salt

Pistachios or pistachio granules

1 piece of natural tofu (optional)

Soy sauce

Preparation

First of all, wash and chop all the vegetables. Brown a garlic clove in a pan with a drizzle of oil, then add the courgettes and peppers first and after a few minutes, the aubergine and onion.

Dilute with little water if the vegetables dry up too much, and add salt.

Separately, dice the tofu (if you want to add it; it is not necessary since there is already a protein element from the lentil flour) and brown in a pan with a drizzle of oil and soy sauce.

In the meantime, boil the water and toss in the pasta. When the vegetables are almost ready, add the cherry tomatoes and basil and finish cooking (if it is not to your liking, remove the garlic).

Drain the pasta, add the vegetables and tofu. Leave it to cool, place it in the fridge. When ready to serve, add a generous handful of pistachio granules (or chop the pistachios with a knife).