Recipe > Mains
Vegetarian Pasta Pesto
I remember having a dish very similar to this in Florence when I was sixteen and although many years have passed the memory of its wonderful flavours and simple, roasted textures still stay with me.

(Should you desire you can always add poultry or white flesh fish which marry very easily to the pesto flavours, but for this particular recipe I have kept it vegetarian.)

Serves 4

Ingredients
450g / 1lb pasta (tagliatelle, spaghetti or penne)
1 Tblsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic
225g / 8oz parsnips
150g / 5oz asparagus
6-8 Tblsp pesto
55g / 2oz whole almonds
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
To serve (optional) creme fraiche or yoghurt

Mise-en-Place:
Preheat the oven to gas mark 4 / 180°C / 350°F
Prepare a large saucepan with boiling, lightly salted and oiled water
Under a hot grill or in a dry saucepan cook the almonds until lightly brown
Cut the parsnips into medium sized wedges
Trim and remove the bottom third of the asparagus (this can be kept for stock or soup making!) then cut the remaining part of the asparagus in half.
Lightly grease a roasting tray
Chop the garlic

Method:
Cook the pasta:
Drop the pasta into the boiling water. Cook until 'al dente' (soft but with a slight bite - not baby food!) about 4 - 6 minutes. Stir from time to time to stop the pasta sticking to the pan
Remove from the heat and drain the pasta
'Refresh' under cold water to remove any excess starch from the pasta and to prevent them from overcooking in their own heat
Set aside

Roast the vegetables:
Place the parsnip, asparagus and garlic in the prepared roasting tray
Season with the sea salt and cracked black pepper, add the olive oil
Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes
The vegetables are done when they are well coloured and the parsnip is soft all the way through

Bring the dish together:
In a large saucepan over a medium heat:
Add the pesto. Bring to a simmer and stir constantly. Cook for 1-2 minutes
Add the pasta. Toss the pasta through the sauce cook for about 2 minutes (long enough for the pasta to become hot but not crispy)
Remove from heat, toss through the hot vegetables and almonds
Serve

Adjust: As this dish uses a prepared sauce it will not need much adjusting
Too bland: Add more pesto, sea salt and cracked black pepper

Presentation:
Either toss all the ingredients together
Or
Toss the pasta and pesto together, serve in a wide bowl
Arrange the roast vegetables on top of the pasta
Pour over a little yoghurt or creme fraiche
Serve

Chef Tip: Do not neglect the almonds while they are cooking. Almonds are notorious for burning quickly (literally as soon as your back is turned!) Once burned the nuts must be discarded due to their bitter taste, so give them due respect and attention