Emily Kydd’s Roasted Vegetable Pesto Rice

Emily Kydd's roasted vegetable pesto rice recipe

Emily Kydd’s roasted vegetable pesto rice is packed full of vitamins and fresh flavours. The nutty pesto adds the perfect finish, creating a lusciously healthy recipe


The pesto dressing doesn’t include cheese, so if you want to make this salad vegan, just leave out the Parmesan shavings at the end.

Serves 6

Ingredients
• 1 large courgette, sliced into 5mm rounds
• 1 red onion, cut into wedges
• 1 aubergine, cut into 1.5cm cubes
• 2 peppers, cut into chunks (red or yellow, or a mix)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 250g wild rice
• 100g spinach, roughly sliced
• 25g parmesan shavings
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

For the pesto:
• 50g almonds
• 50g basil leaves
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, zested and a squeeze of juice

Method
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C. Toss the courgette, onion, aubergine and red and yellow peppers in 2½ tbsp oil with some seasoning. Tip onto parchment-lined baking trays, spreading out to a single layer. Roast for 35 – 45 minutes until golden and beginning to caramelise.
2 Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the packet instructions. Drain, then spread it out on a tray and leave to cool.
3 To make the pesto, toast the almonds in the oven for 5–8 minutes until golden, then tip them into the small bowl of a food processor.
4 Add the basil, garlic, 3 tbsp oil, plenty of seasoning and 4 –5 tbsp water, and the lemon zest and juice.
5 Blitz until smooth. Stir 5 tbsp of the dressing through the rice, along with the spinach. Taste and season, then arrange on a serving plate.
6 Spoon over the vegetables and drizzle over the remaining dressing. To with Parmesan shavings and grind over some black pepper.

Recipe courtesy of Emily Kydd, extracted from Posh Rice © Quadrille

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