We had a fairly rainy and cold spring so far in London and this radiant pasta makes me dream of sunny summer days. The roasted tomatoes are just bursting with sweetness and they are so juicy, perfect to create a light pasta sauce. I love the addition of the lemon which together with the basil really transform this dish. The chickpeas add a nice texture and they are a great fibre rich plant based source of protein.
Serve 3-4 people
Ingredients:
1 small/medium white onion – finely chopped
3 garlic cloves – crushed
500g of cherry tomatoes ( I have used heirloom ones) – cut in halves
1/2 can (400g) of chickpeas – drained and rinsed
1 bunch of basil (about 20-30g)
2 tbsp of nutritional yeast
1 tbsp of lemon juice
the zest of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil + extra for frying and roasting
salt and pepper to taste
around 300-350 of pasta – i have used conchiglie
Serve with: a sprinkle of vegan parmesan style cheese or my cashew parm (recipe in my ebook)
In a bowl mix together 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and lemon zest. Set aside.Add the halved cherry tomatoes to a large baking tray. Drizzle with some olive oil, salt and pepper and give it a good shake so the tomatoes get evenly coated. Place the tray in the oven and roast for 25 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius. In the meantime add a drizzle of olive oil to a frying pan and once hot add in the finely chopped onion. Cook on a medium heat for 8-10 minutes until the onion starts to cook down and caramelise. Add the crushed garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Turn the heat right down to a minimum while you are cooking the pasta. Before draining the pasta remove 2 tbsp of the cooking water. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and to the tray add the chopped basil, drained chickpeas, cooked onion and garlic and the pasta. Give it a good mix then add the cooking water, olive oil and lemon emulsion and a generous crack of black pepper. Mix everything very well. Serve with some vegan parmesan style cheese or my cashew parm.