Quick Mediterranean flavour fix: Pasta with jarred peppers

• 4 servings
• 12 minutes

Ingredients:

• 300g penne pasta
• 1 bunch of parsley (30g)
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 jar roasted red peppers (450g)
• 100g blanched almonds
• ½–1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• olive oil
• red wine vinegar
• 140g cottage cheese

Instructions:

1. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
2. In a blender, blend the parsley (including the stalks) with enough extra virgin olive oil to create a vibrant green oil. Pour it into a jar.
3. Peel the garlic and place it in the blender (no need to wash it) with the jar of peppers (including the brine), almonds, chilli flakes, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar, and half of the cottage cheese. Blend into a very smooth paste.
4. Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of the cooking water, then return it to the pot. Pour in the pepper sauce and mix together on the burner, loosening with a little of the cooking water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Divide the dish onto plates, sprinkle with the remaining cottage cheese, and drizzle with the parsley oil. The rest of the oil can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen in an ice cube tray to use for other meals.

Per serving

• Calories 591 kcal
• Fat 30.6g
• Saturated fat 4.7g
• Protein 18.4g
• Carbohydrates 64.1g
• Sugar 7.2g
• Salt 0.2g
• Fibre 1.1g

This recipe is from Jamie Oliver's latest book "Simply Jamie," published by Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited 2024. Photo: © David Loftus, 2024.