Spaghetti with roast asparagus and oregano
This has been one of my favourite meals of late, in part because of its simplicity but also because it's spaghetti
...actual spaghetti!
I'm so used to following a diet low in wheat which is fine, but occasionally I really fancy a bit if pasta. So the reason this meal made me super happy is because the spaghetti is special, it's gluten free quinoa and rice spaghetti that I bought in a local health shop some weeks ago and promptly forgot I had. It tastes so good and not at all gummy and the roasted vegetables and light sauce were a perfect compliment!
Use whatever seasonal vegetables you have to hand, here I've used chopped asparagus and broad beans tossed together with a little red onion, some cherry tomatoes and a light covering of garlicky tomato sauce- garlic is another flavour I use not nearly often enough, no idea why not!.
This was the perfect meal for a balmy summer evening sat out in the patio with my mum.
Tea for two!
Recipe: Spaghetti with roasted asparagus and oregano
serves 2
Ingredients:
spaghetti of choice- I used rice and quinoa gluten free spaghetti
veg to roast:
1 cup sliced asparagus
1 cup cherry tomatoes- halved
1 small red onion (or a leek) sliced
1 tsp dried mixed herbs and a pinch of sea salt and a tsp oil
other veg:
1/2 cup broad beans
sauce:
3-4 cloved crushed garlic
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbs tomato paste
1/4 cup water
2 tbs fresh oregano (added last)
Method:
Prepare the veg for roasting and mix with the oil and herbs. Roast for approx 15-20 mins (depending on the thickness of the asparagus) until the asparagus is golden- don’t over cook it. Add the tomatoes in the final 5 minutes,
Meanwhile cook the spaghetti according to instructions on pack- mine took just under 15 mins. Add the broads beans or other beans, if using, to the spaghetti pan in the final few minutes cooking time.
Prepare the sauce by mixing all ingredients together.
Once the spaghetti and beans are cooked drain and coat with sauce, warm on the stove for a few minutes mixing the fresh oregano through last. Serve into pasta bowls and add the roasted veggies on top, or mix through as desired.
Easy Roasted Vegetable Tart
One of the winning dishes (other than the sweet potato curry ) served to my colleagues when I cooked them lunch recently was this roasted vegetable tart. Soooo simply and sooooo delicious, this was also a requested recipe that they wanted me to write up for them and so I wanted to share it here also. Ok, before I start- I know puff pastry is not typically healthy- BUT- this is topped with loads of healthy veggies and the proportion of pastry to veg is really not too naughty (particularly if you team this up with a quinoa salad or similar as I did when I cooked for my colleagues).
This is another really versatile recipe and you can use whatever veg is in season. Asparagus worked really well here as it looks so pretty laid out across the tart. Strangely enough, the first comments from my colleagues were ‘wow, a pizza’, obvious this is not pizza at all although I guess visually it’s not so far off… and I reckon it tastes so much better!
Note, I was pushed for time when I made this tart (with so many other dishes to create) and I cheated a little and bought ready-made puff pastry which happens to be vegan anyway (check the packet when buying). Feel free to make your own puff pastry (and make me feel guilty in the process!)
Recipe: Roasted Vegetable Tart
Serves 4 (or more if serving with other dishes)
Ingredients:
- 1pack of ready-made puff pastry (I used Jus-Rol available in most UK supermarkets)
- Paste- 1tbs tomato puree, 1tsp lemon juice, handful of tomatoes, small onion, 2 cloves garlic, ½ a pepper, 1tsp oil. (or could simply use 2-3 tbs tomato puree)
- 2 tbs hummous
- Veg for roasting- 1 onion, 1 or 2 peppers, cherry tomatoes, sweetcorn, approx. 10 asparagus stalks (or other combinations)
- Olive oil
- Vegan pesto or other herb and garlic seasoning
Method:
Prepare veg topping for roasting- cut all veg into chunks but keep asparagus whole (break off woody ends). Coat in oil and pesto or other seasonings and roast in oven for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile blend paste ingredients in food processor and set aside (or omit this and use tomato puree). Roll out the puff pastry until thin (approx. 3-5mm thick). Spread hummous in centre leaving a 1” space from the edge of the pastry. Spread tomato paste on top of this.
Pile the roasted veg on top of the paste laying the asparagus across and putting the other vegetable pieces on the gaps. Lightly brush the 1” space around the edge in olive oil. Bake in the oven at 220 C for 10-15 minutes until pastry is puffed and golden.
Serve hot or cold.
Aw, almost too pretty to cut up and eat…. Oh well dig in!
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