I’m having a phase of eating plant based meals. Tonight I cooked a simple pasta dinner using a handful of ingredients I happened to have in stock. These included sun dried tomatoes and roasted red peppers (both from jars and neither ultra processed). I also used courgettes, onions, cherry tomatoes, almonds (good protein) and spaghetti.

This is such a delicious, quick and easy meal to prepare. I couldn’t decide what to call this recipe but it feels like classic mediterranean fare, so there you are.

You can use any pasta but I love spaghetti. There was a time when I made a point of only eating wholemeal pasta because I though it was healthier but I’m not so bothered about that these days. I think as I eat a fairly healthy diet it doesn’t really matter that I choose white pasta – I think the taste is so much better. I do like to spend a bit more to have good quality pasta though.

Cook the pasta to your own taste in terms of texture. I’ve said this before in this blog but (and Italians look away now) I don’t like al dente pasta. I prefer soft pasta to something bordering on the crunchy.

Serves two (increase quantities as necessary)

Ingredients

• One large/2 small courgettes (zucchini), sliced in rounds
• One medium onion, finely sliced in rings
• 4 pieces of sun dried tomato, chopped
• Oil from the jar of sun dried tomatoes
• 2 pieces of red roasted peppers from a jar, chopped in ribbons
• Two portions of good quality pasta
• Two handfuls of almonds
• Ground black pepper
• Sea salt

Method

1. Put a large saucepan of salted water on to boil for the pasta.
2. Heat about a tablespoon of oil from the jar of sun dried tomatoes in a pan and cook the onions along with a pinch of salt.
3. Add the pasta to the saucepan of boiling water and cook for about 12-15 minutes.
4. Add the courgettes to the onions and cook gently for about 5 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes and the sun dried tomatoes and continue to gently cook for another 5-10 minutes.
5. Heat up a frying pan and dry fry the almonds for 2 or 3 minutes making sure they are slightly charred but not too burnt.
6. Drain the pasta reserving about 2 or 3 tablespoons of water to add to the sauce.
7. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir.
8. Garnish with the almonds and a generous drizzle of oil from the sun dried tomato jar.