After a post-work run, dance class, swim or gym session, there’s absolutely nothing like a big bowl of pasta. It’s the ultimate comfort fitness food – whether you’re having it post-workout or the day before a big race.

Many vegan pasta recipes are focused on tomatoes or blended cashews, and both of those are nice enough – but if you’ve had a big session and want to refuel in style, then you need to check out this rich and creamy dish instead.

The pappardelle is cooked in a buttery sauce with truffle oil, crumbled blue cheese (this recipe uses Honestly Tasty’s Vegan Blue) and plant superstar, the walnut. Walnuts are absolutely packed with useful nutrients, including heart disease-lowering omega-3 fatty acids (a single serving meets the RDA), inflammation-busting polyphenols and gut-promoting butyrate – a fat known to nourish gut bacteria.

Cheese is a fermented food and as such, has been cited as a potential gut-helpful food. The vegan block used may be made from starch and coconut oil, but it also contains real penicillium roqueforti – the fungus found in ‘real’ blue cheese. Not only is it responsible for that distinctive look and taste, but it’s also good for blood pressure and limiting cholesterol build-up. It also contains calcium, which makes this a great option for diary-free eaters.

Feed your good gut bacteria with this post-workout blue cheese and truffled walnut pappardelle dish