Roasted Red Capsicum, Tomato and Basil Pasta
Can we just all stop for one second, and revel in the news that ‘Plant-Based Food’ is named a top trend for 2016. Say What??? I mean, HELL YEAH!!!! It’s about time!!! This little snippet of information has got me super excited, and happy that more and more people are opting for a plant based lifestyle. This is amazing, and I’m so thrilled as I truly do believe it is the way forward! The fact that more awareness is being steered towards nourishing wholefoods, and lifestyles free from animal products is so inspiring! And this Roasted Red Capsicum, Tomato and Basil Pasta is an example of how delicious this lifestyle can be.
“We’ve reached a tipping point for vegetables,” the global food and restaurant consultants group wrote. “They’re pushing animal protein to the side of the plate … or entirely off it. Relentlessly rising beef prices, horror over hormones, a scramble for ever-more antioxidants, health-and-diet concerns, growth of farmers markets, locavore drummers, increasing numbers of flexitarians … all the stars have nicely aligned.” – Source
The more we spread the word on how amazing this lifestyle is, the better, and that’s why I do what I do on this little space on the interwebs. To show people how easy and delicious healthy plant based eating can be. The more awareness created, the more help we’re not only doing for ourselves, but for animals and this beautiful planet of ours. Watch Cowspiracy or Food Matters if you’re not too sure what I’m on about.
So this little recipe was inspired by some gorgeous produce I picked up at “Pick-Your-Own” 185 Main Road Hope. This place is such a gem, and that fact that you can go and pick your own vegetables is A-Mazing!!! It’s things like this that get me so damn excited, and yes you may be thinking – this chick is loopy for getting excited about vegetables, but I really do. I may be a tad crazy, but I’m okay with that 😉
So, there is a farm stall type set up, where you can choose between baskets or wheel barrows to load up of the fresh abundant goodness. When I visited the shop, it was a hustle of activity, and seems to be really popular with the locals. The prices are really really good. I managed to get a basket full of produce for a mere $19! It’s wonderful, and I really do love supporting local rather than chain supermarkets. The carbon footprint is way less, and I feel you are putting your money in the right direction when you support local small businesses.
So I picked up some beautiful vibrant red capsicums and a bunch of other delicious vegetables from this bustling veggie shop, and inspiration set in. I already had a handful of juicy tomatos at home, and with the addition of my kitchen basil plant looking too edible, this recipe was born. It was such a fun dish to make, and didn’t take that much time or effort. The end result was delicious, rich and wholesome. Easily on my top 10 list!
- 4 Large Red Capsicums (Rinsed and cored)
- 10-12 Roasting Tomatoes
- 6-8 Leaves of fresh Basil
- 3 Cloves of Garlic
- 2 Stalks of Spring Onion (Chopped)
- 2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Tsp Organic Rice Malt Syrup
- Dried Mixed Herbs
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 2 Cups Organic Buckwheat Pasta
- Preheat the oven to 180C
- Rinse, clean and chop the red capsicums and tomatoes, and lay on a line baking tray.
- Garnish with a little salt, pepper and mixed dried herbs.
- Once the oven has reached temperature, put in the tray and roast for 10 mins.
- While they're roasting, peel and chop the garlic and spring onion, and add to the tray. Drizzle the tray with the olive oil and allow to roast for a further 10 mins.
- Bring a pot of water to the boil, add a pinch of salt and the buckwheat pasta.
- Cook as per instructions on the packet.
- Remove the tray of vegetables from the oven, and allow to stand for a couple of minutes.
- Add all into a high speed blender, and blend until a smooth but thick sauce has formed. Add in the rice malt syrup, and blend further to combine.
- Once the pasta is cooked, remove, drain and rinse with cold water. Give the pasta pot a quick rinse, and add the pasta back.
- Stir through the vibrant tomato sauce and heat gently on the stove top.
- Garnish with fresh basil, nutritional yeast and salt and pepper to taste.
- Use Organic where possible
- Red Onion can also be used in place of the spring onion
