Name: Pasta & mixed peppers with walnut & lemon pesto
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 25g walnut pieces; 2 garlic cloves crushed; zest of 1 large lemon; 25g fresh parsley; 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 2 small red onions quartered and separated into pieces; 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 250ml pack wheat-free pasta (we used Orgran rice and corn pasta); 250G jar mixed pepper antipasto, drained and sliced; 50g vegetarian parmesan-style cheese finely grated, plus extra shavings to serve

Pasta & mixed peppers with walnut & lemon pesto

For the walnut pesto

25g walnut
pieces
2 garlic cloves
crushed
zest of 1 large lemon
25g fresh parsley
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

For the pasta

2 small red onions
quartered and separated into pieces
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
250ml pack wheat-free pasta
(we used Orgran rice and corn pasta)
250G jar mixed pepper
antipasto, drained and sliced
50g vegetarian parmesan-style cheese
finely grated, plus extra shavings to serve

Method

step 1
Make the pesto. Put the walnuts, garlic and lemon zest in a food processor and whizz until finely chopped. Add the parsley, then drizzle the oil down the feed tube and whizz to combine everything together. Season to taste.
step 2
Preheat the grill to high. Tip the onions into a grill pan, sprinkle with 1 tbsp oil, then toss to coat. Arrange them in a single layer and grill for 6-8 minutes until lightly charred.
step 3
Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the pack instructions until just tender – it won’t swell as much as wheat pasta, so taste a piece to check that it’s just tender.
step 4
Drain the pasta in a colander. Tip the pesto, onions and peppers into the pasta pan and put back on the heat. Stir for a few moments, then add the pasta and then the cheese. Season and serve straight away, scattered with the cheese shavings.