Beetroot Pesto
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Calories per serving: 190 kcal per serving (excludes pasta)
Ingredients (Serves 4)
2 medium-sized beetroots, peeled and diced
40g pine nuts (or walnuts, if preferred)
1 clove garlic, minced
40g fresh basil leaves, washed and roughly chopped
40g grated parmesan cheese (or a vegan alternative)
60ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
Tools
Pestle and mortar (While a pestle and mortar is the traditional choice for making pesto, you can use a food processor if needed. Just take care not to over-blend — a slightly coarse, rustic texture is key to a truly authentic pesto)
Baking tray
Small frying pan (for toasting the nuts)
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) / 400°F / Gas Mark 6.
Spread the diced beetroot on a baking tray and drizzle with a little olive oil. Roast the beetroot in the oven for 30-35 minutes until tender and slightly caramelised.
Once done, remove the beetroot from the oven and allow it to cool slightly.
While the beetroot is roasting, lightly toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Be careful not to burn them. Set aside to cool.
Once the beetroot has cooled slightly, place the pine nuts, garlic, and a pinch of salt into the pestle and mortar. Begin grinding them together in a circular motion until they form a coarse paste.
Add the fresh basil leaves to the mixture and continue grinding until the basil is incorporated and the mixture is a little more smooth.
Add the roasted beetroot to the pestle and mortar and continue grinding until everything is well combined into a thick, chunky paste.
Stir in the grated parmesan cheese, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil while continuing to grind the mixture until it reaches your desired texture. You can add more oil for a smoother consistency or keep it chunky if you prefer a more rustic pesto.
Add the lemon juice and taste the pesto. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve the beetroot pesto with your favourite pasta, on toast, or as a dip for fresh veggies.
Which pasta should I serve with beetroot pesto?
Fusilli is the perfect pasta for beetroot pesto. The pesto nests beautifully inside the twists, so you get a lovely balance of flavour in every mouthful.
But this vibrant pesto isn’t just for fusilli. Its earthy sweetness and creamy texture make it incredibly versatile. Why not try it as a fantastic ravioli filling? You could even stir it through gnocchi, use it as a topping for grilled chicken or fish, or simply spread it on crusty bread for a delicious appetizer. Buon appetito!
Artichoke Tagliatelle Recipe
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 5 mins
Calories per serving: 304 kcal
Ingredients (serves 4)
400g fresh tagliatelle
4 fresh artichokes
1 garlic clove, peeled but left whole
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Vegetarian Italian hard cheese, to serve
2 lemons
Method
Step 1: Prepare your artichokes
Preparing an artichoke requires a little patience, but the end result is worth it. Follow the steps below. Short on time? You can always source artichoke hearts, already prepped.
Fill a large bowl with cold water, then squeeze the juice of 2 lemons into it (you can leave the lemon halves in the water). Put the bowl to one side.
Take your artichoke and slice off the stem with a sharp knife, then remove the dark external leaves by ripping them away from the bud with your hands. Remove and discard around two full layers of the outer petals, until you get to the yellow inner petals.
Next, trim the stem and base with your knife, until the lighter, smoother flesh is exposed.
Cut off and discard the tip of the artichoke, then cut it in half lengthways. Cut each half in two, then use a knife to carefully remove the fluffy inner core.
Finally, cut each quarter into lengthwise slices, then submerge them in your bowl of water and lemon. Repeat this process for each artichoke.
Step 2: Make your sauce
Put a large pan of salted water on to boil for your pasta, then heat a large sauté pan on medium. Remove the artichoke pieces from the water, squeezing out any excess water.
Add the olive oil to the sauté pan along with your whole garlic clove, then fry for a minute, being careful not to burn the garlic.
Add your artichokes, then turn the heat down to a medium low. Leave your artichokes to sauté for around 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add a ladle or two of your boiling water to your artichoke pan, then leave to cook away for around 20 minutes. Once the artichokes are soft, add your chopped parsley to the pan.
Remove half of the cooked artichokes and your garlic clove from the pan, then blend with a ladle of the salted boiling water until you have a creamy sauce.
Add the sauce back to the pan with the remaining artichokes, then turn the heat down to low.
Step 3: Cook the pasta
Boil your fresh tagliatelle in salted water for 3-4 minutes, or until al dente. Drain your pasta, ensuring to reserve a little cooking water.
Add your pasta to the artichoke mixture and toss vigorously, adding as much pasta water as you need to create luscious and glossy sauce.
Serve your tagliatelle ai carciofi with more fresh parsley, freshly ground pepper and a generous helping of grated Italian cheese.
Garlic and Chilli Prawn Linguine
This chilli and garlic prawn linguine recipe takes inspiration from Italy’s south, particularly the region of Campania. From Sorrento and the Gulf of Naples to the awe-inspiring Amalfi Coast, Campania’s long coastline means that i frutti di mare – ‘the fruits of the sea’ – play a major part in the region’s cuisine. Although eaten in all manner of ways, these juicy morsels are perhaps best when paired with three of the region’s other calling-cards: fresh tomatoes, bright lemons and red chilli (which all grow in abundance across Campania). Together, they sing of the region’s love and appreciation for simple produce, done well.
For this spicy prawn linguine, the prawns are very briefly cooked with a mixture of tomatoes and olive oil spiked with plenty of red chilli and garlic. White wine, lemon zest and fresh parsley provide scent and zip, helping to bring everything together into a coherent sauce. The cooking of the prawns takes no time at all, and if you use fresh pasta this dish is even quicker to throw together – a satisfying, simple supper.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Calories per serving: 525 kcal
Ingredients (Serves 4)
500g fresh linguine, or 400g dried (spaghetti would also work well)
400g raw prawns, peeled
200g cherry or plum tomatoes, halved
125ml dry white wine
3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried chilli flakes)
Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
Handful fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
50ml olive oil
Salt
Method
Bring a large pan of water to the boil, then salt well and stir. Add the pasta, stir again and cook until al dente. If using fresh linguine, cook for 1-2 minutes, for dried, aim for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions.
While the pasta is cooking, warm a large frying pan over a low heat. Add the olive oil, garlic and chilli and let fry gently for a minute or so, until fragrant (make sure you don’t let the garlic colour too much). Add the tomatoes and cook for a minute more.
Add the prawns, give everything a good stir, then raise the heat to medium and add the wine and a pinch of salt. Allow it all to simmer away for 3 minutes.
Drain the pasta, remembering to reserve around 100ml of the cooking water, then add the pasta to your sauce. Add the lemon zest, parsley and a splash of pasta cooking water, then toss everything together until well combined.
Transfer to bowls and serve immediately, buon appetito!
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