Jampacked: Tina Bester’s roasted red pepper and cashew nut pesto

Tina Bester is a household name here in South Africa. Better known as the Queen of Tarts, she is the author of several successful cookbooks including Celebrate, Comfort, Bake and the kid’s favourite, Fun in the Kitchen. Her brand new book, Jampacked, is a beautiful anthology of jam, relishes, pestos, marinades, rubs and sauce recipes with inspiring ways to use them in day-to-day dishes. This roasted red pepper and cashew nut pesto with fresh spaghetti is a winning example of her recipe combos.

The rich, savoury-sweet flavour of this pesto makes it a favourite in our house.

Ingredients for the roasted red pepper and cashew nut pesto:

4 red bell peppers, halved and seeds removed
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
30g fresh basil leaves
50g finely grated Parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, crushed
100g roasted cashew nuts
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
A good pinch of sea salt

 Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Place the peppers, cut-sides down, on a baking tray.
2. Roast the peppers until they are soft and cooked and their skins are slightly charred.
3. Remove from the oven, place the peppers in a bowl of cold water and peel off the skins.
4. Place the peeled peppers and the rest of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until you have a thick paste. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
5. The pesto keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4–5 days.

Makes 500ml roasted red pepper and cashew nut pesto.

 This is the perfect midweek dinner and is also a delicious choice to serve to friends who are vegetarian.

 Ingredients for the spaghetti:

400g flour
4 eggs
1 quantity roasted red pepper and cashew nut pesto

Method:

1. For the spaghetti, place the flour on a clean kitchen surface and make a well in the centre.
2. Crack the eggs into the middle and lightly whisk, slowly bringing the flour into the centre until the dough starts to come together and all the flour is combined. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 4–5 minutes until the dough is smooth. Wrap it in clingfilm and let it rest for 30 minutes.
3. Divide the dough into four and pass the dough through the biggest setting on the pasta machine.
4. Repeat this 5 or 6 times, folding the dough over each time. Set the pasta machine on the next setting and pass the dough through, repeating 5 or 6 times on each setting until you reach the narrowest setting.
5. Lay the sheets of pasta on nonstick baking paper. Repeat the process with the other portions.
6. Pass the thin pasta sheets through the spaghetti cutter on the pasta machine.
7. Cook the pasta for 3–4 minutes in a large pot of salted water. Mix through the pesto and serve hot.

Serves 4

How’s that for a midweek dinner dish? If you don’t have time to make the pasta, mix in the pesto with your favourite store bought variety for a quick, healthy meal.

All recipes and images taken from Jampacked by Tina Bester, a Quivertree publication.