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
