Pasta with Tenderstem®, Roasted Vegetables, And Toasted Almonds

by
Katie Caldesi's Tenderstem and roasted vegetable pasta

photography by tenderstem.co.uk

A quick and easy pasta dish for a simple but delicious midweek meal. 

“I love the kick of chilli but by all means leave it out for young ones.” – Katie Caldesi

Serves: 4

Preparation: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

What You’ll Need:

  • ½ large aubergine, cut into bite-size sticks
  • 1 red pepper, cut into bite-size sticks
  • 1 courgette, cut into bite-size sticks
  • 1 medium red onion, cut in half and with each half cut into 6 segments
  • 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled, crushed lightly
  • Half a red chilli, finely sliced (optional)
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 3 sprigs of thyme
  • 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling at the end
  • 1 packet of Tenderstem® broccoli (about 200g), larger stems cut in half lengthways
  • 300g dried pasta shapes – we used gigli
  • 50g flaked almonds
  • 25g grated Parmesan cheese

What To Do:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 and put on a large saucepan of salted water to boil.
  2. Put the prepared vegetables (except the Tenderstem®), garlic, and chilli on a baking tray.  Scatter with salt, pepper, and thyme and pour over the olive oil.  Using your hands, toss the vegetables so they are well-coated in the oil.  (The oil prevents the vegetables burning but also is used in the sauce later so don’t be mean with it.)  Tuck the thyme under the vegetables to stop it burning, put the tray in the oven, and bake for 20 minutes.
  3. Halfway through cooking, add the Tenderstem® and toss to combine with the other vegetables and olive oil.  Return to the oven.
  4. At this point, bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions until al dente.
  5. Meanwhile, toast the almonds on a tray in the oven for about 5 minutes, checking regularly as they can burn quickly.
  6. When the pasta is cooked, drain it and then combine it with the vegetables and any remaining oil from the tray and the almonds in a warm serving bowl.
  7. Drizzle with more olive oil, according to taste, and serve topped with Parmesan.

Recipe by Katie Caldesi.

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