Fusilli with Pesto Rosso Recipe
by Paul Ainsworth
4
45 minutes
Ingredients

Pesto rosso fusilli with cherry tomatoes and basil

  • 260g of fusilli pasta
  • 100g of spring onions
  • 100g of roquito pepper
  • 60g of butter
  • 200ml of vegetable stock, good quality
  • 30g of sweet chilli sauce
  • 50g of crème fraîche
  • 100g of cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 10g of basil, chopped
  • 1 tbsp of olive oil
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced (to taste)
  • salt
  • pepper

Confit garlic

  • 250g of garlic
  • pomace oil, to cover
  • 2 sprigs of thyme

Pesto rosso

  • 75g of pine nuts, toasted
  • 200g of sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 150ml of olive oil
  • salt
Method
1
Make the confit garlic in advance as it takes a good few hours to cook. Place the peeled cloves and thyme in a small ovenproof dish and top with oil so the cloves are fully submerged. Slow cook in the oven at 80°C for 4–6 hours, or until very soft
  • pomace oil (1), to cover
  • 250g of garlic
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
2

Drain the garlic, pass the oil through a sieve and bottle the garlic oil – it can be kept for up to 2 days in the fridge. Blend the garlic to a purée and measure out 50g for the pesto and 120g to stir through the pasta. You can store any remaining purée in the fridge for other dishes for up to 2 days

3
To make the pesto, place the pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic purée in a pestle and mortar or blender and grind to a paste. Add the oil to loosen and season with the lemon juice and salt. Measure out 200g of pesto for the pasta, reserving any extra in the fridge
  • 200g of sun-dried tomatoes
  • 75g of pine nuts, toasted
  • salt
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 150ml of olive oil
4
Cook the fusilli in salted boiling water for 8–10 minutes or until al dente
  • 260g of fusilli pasta
5
In a heavy-based pan, heat the olive oil on a medium heat. When hot, add the spring onions and roquito peppers and cook for 2 minutes. Add the butter, 120g garlic purée and vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp of olive oil
  • 100g of spring onions
  • 100g of roquito pepper
  • 200ml of vegetable stock, good quality
  • 60g of butter
6
Reduce slightly then add your pesto rosso, sweet chilli sauce and crème fraîche. Fold through the tomatoes and basil (leaving some to garnish)
  • 10g of basil, chopped
  • 30g of sweet chilli sauce
  • 50g of crème fraîche
  • 100g of cherry tomatoes, quartered
7
Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper and finally stir through the cooked fusilli. Serve warm with fresh basil to garnish
  • pepper
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced (to taste)
  • salt