Every summer I have an absolute abundance of basil in the garden, so much so, that I can’t give it all away. I always make a traditional pesto (multiple times throughout summer) but there is only so much pesto you can eat without everything starting to taste the same. This is where the Sun-dried Tomatoes come in. I literally always have a jar of these either in the fridge or pantry as they really can turn a meal completely around. They are perfect for salads when fresh tomatoes aren’t at their best, brilliant on toasties and they add a zesty, rich flavour to the everyday pesto. This pasta dish was so simple as all I had to do was make a pesto, which takes minutes and I roasted the pumpkin and chorizo together in the oven, on a lined baking tray. No mess, no fuss, easy peasy, linguine 🙂
Prep time: 10 Minutes Cooking time: 20 Minutes $ Low Budget
Serves 4
500gm of linguine
2 chorizo sausages, casings removed and roughly chopped
300gm of Japan or Kent Pumpkin, skin and seeds removed and chopped into cubes
1 bunch of fresh basil, leaves picked and stalks discarded
2 cloves of garlic
1 cup of Sun-dried tomato strips
1 tsp of chilli flakes (optional, I like a bit of heat)
1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan
1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and pepper
Grated parmesan and extra virgin olive oil for garnish and drizzling
Pre heat the oven to 200°C and line a large baking tray with baking paper. Place the pumpkin pieces in the tray and drizzle with a little olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper. Give the tray a bit of a shake so that the pumpkin is easily coated and place in the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, scatter the chorizo over and around the pumpkin and cook for a further 10-15 minutes or until the pumpkin and chorizo are golden.
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the linguine according to packet instructions.
While the linguine is cooking, place 2/3 of the basil leaves, sun-dried tomatoes, chilli flakes, garlic, parmesan, pine nuts, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil in a blender. Season with salt and pepper and blitz until you have a nice fine paste.
Drain the linguine and reserve one cup of the pasta water. Place the linguine back in the pot and toss through approximately 3-4 tablespoons of the pesto (according to taste, I like to use a lot). Add the pasta water to loosen it up a little and then gently fold through the pumpkin and chorizo.
Divide the pasta between four serving bowls, top with a generous amount of freshly grated parmesan, scatter over the remaining basil leaves and drizzle over a little extra virgin olive oil.
Leftover pesto will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.