Sundried tomato pesto with red pepper and fusilli
We’ve had a few non-pasta recipes as of late, so it’s high time that I post another one! It’s very much in the depths of autumn now, so the fresh summery produce of a couple of months ago is starting to fade from memory somewhat (even with today’s global food market you can still generally find the same stuff in the supermarket year-round, but it’s never as good as when it’s in season). When the last of the good summer tomatoes have been picked and eaten, it’s good to look at what’s been preserved earlier on and use it instead. That’s where a jar of sundried tomatoes comes into its own to make a delicious pasta sauce!
I always think that pestos are one of the quickest and easiest pasta sauces you can make, as long as you have a good little food processor (I’ve been meaning to write a post on what I’d consider to be my kitchen essentials, and my little food processor will definitely be making the list). For the pesto I use about half a jar of sundried tomatoes, along with garlic, walnuts (cheaper than pine nuts), hard Italian cheese, lemon and oil, both extra virgin olive oil and some of the oil from the tomatoes themselves. Other than peeling a few garlic cloves, the rest can just be thrown into the food processor and blitzed together to make a speedy sauce in no time.
Dinner’s not complete in my eyes without some kind of vegetable or extra something thrown into the mix, and in this case it’s some sautéed red pepper and some fake “chicken” which I think works best. You can roast the pepper if you prefer, but by doing it in a pan you save both time and oven heat. I like to add some of the cooked pepper to the pesto itself to add a bit of sweetness. The aforementioned vegetarian chicken is an optional extra (I know some people have mixed views on meat alternatives), but we really like the Vegetarian Butcher’s “What the Cluck” pieces in things like pasta and stir fries to add a bit of bulk and protein to the dish.
This is a quick and easy midweek dinner option and keeps well as leftovers for the next day in an airtight container in the fridge. Give it a go and let me know what you think!
Sundried tomato pesto with red pepper and fusilli
Serves: 4 | Total time: 30 mins | Source: vicki cooks veggie
Ingredients
For the pesto
80 - 100g sundried tomatoes in oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled
30g walnuts
40g vegetarian Pecorino (Tesco’s Pecorino is vegetarian by default)
1 ½ tbsp lemon juice (about half a lemon)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp oil from the jar of sundried tomatoes
40g cooked red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
For the pasta
250g dried fusilli (or pasta shape of your choice)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, or another vegetable oil
2 red peppers, chopped into bitesize pieces
Optional: 150 - 200g plant-based meat alternative (I like to use Vegetarian Butcher’s “What the Cluck” Vegan Chicken Chunks)
Salt
Method
Begin by chopping your red peppers into bitesize pieces. Take a large pan (I use my non-stick wok), heat up 1 tbsp oil on a medium heat and begin to sauté the peppers with a small amount of salt to taste, stirring occasionally. If you’re using a meat alternative, add this to the pan and cook according to the cooking time given on the packet. Once the meat alternative is cooked according to the packet and the pepper is soft, turn off the heat and set aside.
Get a large pot of water boiling with a generous pinch of salt, then cook your pasta according to the packet instructions. Once cooked, drain off the pasta retaining about 60ml / ¼ cup of the starchy pasta water.
While the pasta’s cooking, make the pesto. Using a small food processor, add the sundried tomatoes, garlic, walnuts, Pecorino, lemon juice, oil (both from the tomatoes jar + some additional olive oil) and 40g of the red pepper you’ve just cooked. Blitz until you’re left with a chunky paste, then season to taste.
Back in the large pan with your remaining peppers and meat alternative, add the pesto along with the reserved pasta water and stir to combine, making a thick sauce. Add the pasta and mix well until all of the pasta is coated in the sauce. Serve with additional Pecorino sprinkled on top and a grinding of fresh black pepper.