Basil Pesto Salmon Bake - Operation Transformation

Serves 2 (each serving contains approximately 550 kcal)

The Ingredients

1 large head broccoli (400g)

200g cherry tomatoes

2 teaspoons rapeseed oil (10g)

80g wholewheat penne pasta

1 tablespoon basil pesto (shop-bought - 15g)

2 tablespoonslight cream cheese (30g)

2 x 120g cooked salmon fillets

2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs (10g)

salt (optional) and freshly ground black pepper

The Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Cut the broccoli into small bite-sized florets - you’ll need 300g in total. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.

Place the pasta in a pan of boiling water with a pinch of salt (optional) and cook for 10-12 minutes until just tender. Add the broccoli for the last 2 minutes of cooking time and blanch until almost but not quite tender.

Drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander and reserve a cupful of the cooking liquid. Place the pasta and broccoli in a large bowl and fold in the pesto and cream cheese, adding two to three tablespoons of the cooking water to make a smooth light sauce that just binds everything together.

Flake the cooked salmon and add to the pasta mixture with the tomatoes. Put in a small baking dish and sprinkle the panko breadcrumbs on top, then drizzle over the rest of the oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the top is golden and crunchy.

Cut the basil pesto salmon bake into portions and arrange on plates to serve.