When scorching summer time days roll round, midweek dinners that require minimal cooking actually come into their very own. I really like making pesto on such evenings, and never simply the traditional basil-and-pine-nut state of affairs. Jazzing issues up with braised greens or a purple pesto constructed from numerous jarred items are simply two instructions during which I prefer to take issues for an enormous hit of flavour. Each of right this moment’s pestos freeze effectively, too.
Smoky pepper and chilli pesto pasta with ricotta (pictured prime)
An nearly no-cook sauce of smoked harissa whizzed up with jarred peppers, almonds and parmesan, tossed by means of rigatoni and topped with a dollop of lemony ricotta.
Prep 5 min
Cook dinner 20 min
Serves 4
Salt and black pepper
400g rigatoni
90g flaked almonds
350g jarred roasted peppers
80g sun-dried tomatoes
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 heaped tbsp smoked harissa paste
15g basil
90g pecorino romano
Olive oil
250g ricotta
Juice and finely grated zest of ½ lemon
Convey a big pan of salted water to a boil, then add the pasta and cook dinner based on packet directions, till al dente.
In the meantime, toast the almonds in a dry frying pan on a medium warmth for 3 minutes, or till calmly golden, then tip right into a bowl and depart to chill to room temperature.
Tip 70g of the almonds into the bowl of a meals processor, add the peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, harissa and basil, then grate in 70g of the pecorino and whizz to a paste. With the motor nonetheless operating, step by step drizzle in 100ml olive oil, then season to style.
Put the ricotta in a bowl, then grate within the remaining 20g pecorino and the lemon zest and juice. Whisk to mix, then season to style with salt.
When the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a mugful of the pasta cooking water, then tip the new pasta again into the pan. Add the pesto and a splash of the reserved pasta water, then combine and toss till effectively mixed.
Spoon the pasta into bowls, prime with a dollop of the lemon ricotta and a sprinkle of the remaining toasted almonds, end with a drizzle of olive oil and serve.
Pesto pasta with braised runner beans
Prep 5 min
Cook dinner 45 min
Serves 4
Olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
200g runner beans
Salt and pepper
400g casarecce
70g pine nuts
15g mint
80g basil
70g parmesan
Juice of ½ lemon
Put a medium-sized saute pan on a medium warmth, then add three tablespoons of olive oil. Tip within the sliced onion and saute for 20 minutes, stirring usually, untilit has softened fully and brought on a little bit of color. Add the garlic and saute for a minute extra.
Trim the woody ends off the runner beans, then reduce them diagonally into 2cm lengths. Stir these into the onions, add 100ml water and a pinch of salt, then pop on the lid and depart to cook dinner for eight minutes.
Convey a big pan of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook dinner based on packet directions, till al dente.
In the meantime, toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan on a medium warmth for 3 minutes, till calmly golden, then tip out and depart to chill.
Choose the leaves off the mint, then put them within the bowl of a meals processor with the basil (stalks and all) and toasted pine nuts. Grate within the parmesan, then pulse to a rough paste.
With the motor nonetheless operating, drizzle in 100ml olive oil, then stir within the lemon juice and season to style.
When the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a mugful of the cooking water, then tip the pasta into the bean pan. Add the pesto and a splash of the reserved pasta cooking water, then combine and toss till effectively mixed.
Spoon the pasta into bowls, prime with a bit extra parmesan and olive oil, and serve directly.
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Sophie Wyburd is the writer of Tucking In: A Very Comforting Cookbook, printed by Ebury Press at £22. To order a duplicate for £19.80, go to guardianbookshop.com.
