Ingredients
- 1 yellow bell pepper, quartered and roasted
- 1 garlic clove
- Zest and juice of half a lemon
- 70g cashews, roasted
- 4 basil leaves (+ extra for garnish)
- 40g Parmesan cheese (+ extra for garnish)
- 70ml olive oil
- A handful of baby tomatoes, chopped into eighths
- 400g Yorkshire Pasta Fusilli
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Step by Step Instructions
pesto Step 1
Preheat your oven to 180°C. Place the quartered yellow bell pepper on a baking tray and roast it in the oven until it becomes tender and slightly charred. Remove from the oven and let it cool.
pesto Step 2
Place the cashews onto a baking tray land roast them in the oven until golden and release their aroma. 3. Keep a small number of cashews aside if you prefer a slightly chunkier pesto.
pesto Step 3
In a blender or pestle and mortar, combine the roasted yellow pepper, roasted cashews, lemon juice, lemon zest, 2 basil leaves, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and garlic.
pesto Step 4
Blend or pound the mixture until you achieve your desired texture. For a chunkier pesto, add the reserved cashews and pulse them through the finished pesto.
pesto Step 5
Taste the pesto and season it with salt and black pepper according to your preference. If you want a thicker pesto, add more cashews; for a looser consistency, add additional olive oil.
Step 1
Roughly chop two of the basil leaves and set them aside to stir through the sauce later.
Step 2
Cook the Yorkshire Fusilli Pasta in salted boiling water according to the package instructions until it reaches al dente. Before draining the pasta, reserve a small amount of pasta water.
Step 3
In the same pan, return the drained pasta, pesto, and a splash of the reserved pasta water. Place the pan on low heat.
Step 4
On a low heat stir the pesto through the pasta pasta until the sauce thickens and coats the pasta in a creamy texture.
Step 5
Once the pesto sauce reaches the desired consistency, stir in the remaining chopped basil leaves and the chopped baby tomatoes.
Step 6
To serve, plate the Lemon Pesto Pasta and garnish each portion with additional grated Parmesan cheese, lemon zest and basil.
