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The Guardian
07-07-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Sophie Wyburd's recipes for summer pesto pasta
When hot summer days roll around, midweek dinners that require minimal cooking really come into their own. I love making pesto on such evenings, and not just the classic basil-and-pine-nut situation. Jazzing things up with braised greens or a red pesto made from lots of jarred goods are just two directions in which I like to take things for a big hit of flavour. Both of today's pestos freeze well, too. An almost no-cook sauce of smoked harissa whizzed up with jarred peppers, almonds and parmesan, tossed through rigatoni and topped with a dollop of lemony ricotta. Prep 5 min Cook 20 min Serves 4 Salt and black pepper 400g rigatoni 90g flaked almonds 350g jarred roasted peppers 80g sun-dried tomatoes 1 garlic clove, peeled1 heaped tbsp smoked harissa paste15g basil 90g pecorino romano Olive oil 250g ricotta Juice and finely grated zest of ½ lemon Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil, then add the pasta and cook according to packet instructions, until al dente. Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a dry frying pan on a medium heat for three minutes, or until lightly golden, then tip into a bowl and leave to cool to room temperature. Tip 70g of the almonds into the bowl of a food processor, add the peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, harissa and basil, then grate in 70g of the pecorino and whizz to a paste. With the motor still running, gradually drizzle in 100ml olive oil, then season to taste. Put the ricotta in a bowl, then grate in the remaining 20g pecorino and the lemon zest and juice. Whisk to combine, then season to taste with salt. When the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a mugful of the pasta cooking water, then tip the hot pasta back into the pan. Add the pesto and a splash of the reserved pasta water, then mix and toss until well combined. Spoon the pasta into bowls, top with a dollop of the lemon ricotta and a sprinkle of the remaining toasted almonds, finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve. Prep 5 min Cook 45 min Serves 4 Olive oil 1 onion, peeled and finely sliced 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped 200g runner beansSalt and pepper 400g casarecce70g pine nuts 15g mint 80g basil 70g parmesan Juice of ½ lemon Put a medium-sized saute pan on a medium heat, then add three tablespoons of olive oil. Tip in the sliced onion and saute for 20 minutes, stirring often, untilit has softened completely and taken on a bit of colour. Add the garlic and saute for a minute more. Trim the woody ends off the runner beans, then cut them diagonally into 2cm lengths. Stir these into the onions, add 100ml water and a pinch of salt, then pop on the lid and leave to cook for eight minutes. Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook according to packet instructions, until al dente. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan on a medium heat for three minutes, until lightly golden, then tip out and leave to cool. Pick the leaves off the mint, then put them in the bowl of a food processor with the basil (stalks and all) and toasted pine nuts. Grate in the parmesan, then pulse to a coarse paste. With the motor still running, drizzle in 100ml olive oil, then stir in the lemon juice and season to taste. When the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a mugful of the cooking water, then tip the pasta into the bean pan. Add the pesto and a splash of the reserved pasta cooking water, then mix and toss until well combined. Spoon the pasta into bowls, top with a little more parmesan and olive oil, and serve at once. Sophie Wyburd is the author of Tucking In: A Very Comforting Cookbook, published by Ebury Press at £22. To order a copy for £19.80, visit
Washington Post
11-06-2025
- General
- Washington Post
After pounds of pasta, here's how I made the cacio e pepe of my dreams
Cacio e pepe, in its traditional form, consists of exactly five ingredients: pasta, pecorino Romano cheese, black pepper, salt and water. With such a short list, you might think it would be a cinch to prepare. But as anyone who has tried to make this iteration of the classic Roman dish will attest, that couldn't be further from the truth.
The Guardian
07-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Pasta and pesto, broth and dumplings, pancakes and chutney: Ravinder Bhogal's pea recipes
My earliest memory of kitchen duties is sitting on a stool in our courtyard in Kenya with a sack of peas that was bigger than me. I spent hours coaxing them from their pods, munching as I went; the result was a red plastic bucket brimming with peas like gleaming green marbles. As with asparagus, they have a short season, so grab them while you can: throw them whole into salads, broths and curries, or grind them down and use their starchy goodness to make pestos, pancakes and fritters. Peas, broth and bread dumplings (pictured above) These herbal dumplings are made from the sturdiness of stale bread, cheese and sweet peas. I've used pecorino, but you could use parmesan or a hard goat's cheese instead. Prep 20 min Cook 35 min Serves 4 For the dumplings 30g butter 1 leek, white part only, washed and very finely chopped 1 large egg, beaten 250g stale sourdough, torn into small pieces Finely grated zest of 1 lemon 50g pecorino 1 heaped tbsp plain flour 125g podded fresh peas, or defrosted frozen peas, coarsely ground 2 tbsp chopped tarragon 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley, plus extra to serve Sea salt and black pepper 1-2 tbsp milk For the broth 1 litre chicken stock, or vegetable stock 200g peas, fresh or frozen 1 tbsp olive oil (optional) 100g guanciale or pancetta, cubed (optional) Juice of ½ lemon Melt the butter in a frying pan, then gently saute the leek until soft but not coloured, then take off the heat and leave to cool. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine all the remaining dumpling ingredients apart from the milk, then add the cooled leek and season. Add enough of the milk to make a soft dough, then, with wet hands, form the mix into ping-pong ball-sized dumplings and refrigerate. Pour the stock into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the dumplings, and simmer for 10-12 minutes, adding the peas for the last minute of cooking. If you're using the guanciale, heat the olive oil in a small frying pan, fry the cubed meat for five to six minutes, until crisp, then drain on kitchen paper. Season the broth to taste and squeeze in the lemon juice. Divide the dumplings and peas between four soup bowls, ladle the broth over the top, add the guanciale, if using, and serve with extra parsley. Pea and mung bean cheelas with fried eggs and coriander chutney Ravinder Bhogal's pea and mung bean cheelas. I regularly make these for breakfast or lunch; you could use spinach or any other greens instead, or cooked beetroot for vibrant purple pancakes. Prep 15 min Soak 6 hr+ Cook 35 min Makes 8 100g whole mung beans 200g podded fresh peas, or frozen and defrosted peas 1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated 1 green chilli, finely chopped 1 handful coriander, finely chopped 1 tsp cumin seeds Sea salt, to taste Coconut oil, or avocado oil Fried eggs, to serve For the coriander coconut chutney 100g coriander, stalks and all, roughly chopped 100g grated coconut (you can buy this frozen) 1 green chilli, roughly chopped Juice of 1 juicy lime ½ tsp caster sugar 2½cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped Rinse the mung beans well, cover with double the amount of water and leave to soak for at least six hours, or overnight. To make the chutney, put the coriander, coconut, green chilli, lime juice, sugar, salt to taste, ginger and 100ml ice-cold water in a blender, and blitz smooth. To make the cheelas, put the peas, ginger, chilli, coriander and a splash of water in a food processor and blitz smooth. Drain the mung beans, add them to the pea mix with the cumin seeds and sea salt to taste, and blend again. Add roughly 100ml water and blend until the mix has the pouring consistency of crepe batter. To cook, lightly oil a cast-iron or nonstick frying pan and put it on a low-medium heat. Pour a ladleful of batter into the centre of the pan and, using the back of the ladle, circle and spread the batter to make a thin pancake. Drizzle a little oil around the sides and in the centre of the cheela, then cook on both sides for two to three minutes, until golden and crisp. Transfer to a plate, and repeat with the remaining batter, cooling the pan with a splash of cold water before making the next cheela. Serve with fried eggs and the chutney. Trofie with pea and lemon pesto Ravinder Bhogal's trofie with pea and lemon pesto. This makes a wonderfully bright pesto that is also excellent with grilled fish such as trout. Prep 10 min Cook 20 min Serves 4 Sea salt and black pepper 100g basil 25g mint, picked 250g podded fresh peas, or frozen and defrosted 1 fat garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped 30g pine nuts, toasted 30g pecorino or parmesan, grated, plus extra for sprinkling Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon 60ml extra-virgin olive oil 250g trofie , or other pasta shape of your choice 1 handful pea shoots (optional) Bring a large pan of heavily salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, put the basil, mint, half the peas, the garlic, pine nuts, cheese, lemon juice and zest into a blender, season and whizz to a puree. With the motor still running, slowly drizzle in the oil until it's all incorporated and you have a vibrant pea paste. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, adding the remaining peas for the last minute of cooking. Drain, reserving a ladleful of the pasta cooking water. Stir the pesto and a little pasta cooking water through the hot pasta and peas, then add the pea shoots, if using. Divide between four bowls and serve sprinkled with more grated pecorino or parmesan.
