34 The Times MagazineBLACK OLIVE PESTO PASTA
Serves 4- 400g spaghetti • A drizzle of olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
For the oregano breadcrumbs- 1 piece white bread • 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the black olive pesto- Half a small bunch of fresh basil • Half a
small bunch of fresh parsley • 220g pitted
black olives • 50g almonds • 4 tbsp olive oil - 1½ tbsp tomato puree • 1½ tbsp balsamic
vinegar • A pinch of salt and black pepper
1 Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Add
the pasta and cook for 1 minute less than
stated on the packet instructions.
2 Meanwhile, blitz the bread to coarse crumbs
in a food processor. Tip the crumbs into a
large frying pan along with the dried oregano.
Add the olive oil and stir until the crumbs are
coated. Put the pan over a medium heat and
toast until the breadcrumbs are golden and
crisp. Tip into a small bowl and set aside. Keep
the frying pan handy.
3 Make the pesto. Reserve a few herbs
for garnish and put the rest into the food
processor. Blitz together with all the other
pesto ingredients until well combined but
not completely smooth.4 Once the pasta is cooked, put the frying pan
over a medium-high heat. Add the pesto to
the hot pan with a ladleful of the pasta water.
Use tongs to transfer the pasta directly from
the saucepan into the frying pan and toss until
the pasta is coated with the pesto sauce. Taste
and season with salt and pepper.
5 Swirl the pasta into bowls. Top with a drizzle
of olive oil and the oregano breadcrumbs.
Scatter with the reserved herbs.LIZZIE’S LEMON AND
ARTICHOKE RISOTTO
Serves 2- 200g risotto rice • 600ml vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp olive oil • Half an onion or 1 shallot
- Salt and black pepper • 1 garlic clove
- 1 tsp fennel seeds • 125ml white wine
- 1 x 175g pack chargrilled artichokes
- 30g hazelnuts • 2 small lemons
- 60g rocket • 30g plant-based parmesan
(optional) • A small bunch of chives
1 Get the risotto started. Place a large
saucepan with a lid on a medium-high heat.
When hot, tip in the rice and 300ml stock.
Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, place a frying pan over a
medium-high heat. When hot, pour in 1 tbsp
olive oil. Finely chop the onion or shallot and
add it to the pan along with a big pinch of salt.
Fry for 2 minutes. Peel and grate the garlicdirectly into the pan. Scatter in the fennel
seeds and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the wine
and bring to the boil. Tip the contents of the
frying pan into the risotto pan. Pour in the
remaining 300ml stock. Give everything a
good stir, put the lid back on and reduce the
heat to medium. Cook for 9 minutes.
3 Meanwhile, roughly chop any chunky
artichokes. Tip them, along with their oil, into
the frying pan. Chop the hazelnuts and add
to the pan, then fry over a medium heat for
about 3 minutes until the hazelnuts are golden
and the artichokes are heated through. Zest
one of the lemons over the top.
4 Make a salad. Tip the rocket into a large
salad bowl. Halve the zested lemon and
squeeze the juice over the leaves. Add the
remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and a big pinch of
salt and pepper and toss.
5 Remove the lid from the risotto and stir
continuously for 1 minute, then halve the
second lemon and squeeze over the juice. Grate
in the parmesan, if using, and season to taste. If
the rice is still firm, cook for a further 1 minute.
6 Spoon the risotto into bowls and top with
the artichoke and hazelnut mixture. Slice the
chives and scatter them over the top. nEat!
BOSH!
Extracted from Speedy
Bosh! by Henry Firth
and Ian Theasby,
published by HQ on
September 17 (£22)