This dish screams summer. The aroma of fresh mint is enough to cool a hot summer’s day. Or at least feel like it’s a bit cooler.
This recipe is fantastic to make as part of a family meal or to feed a crowd. It’s very easy and fairly quick to prepare. The combination of flavours is absolutely delicious. Halloumi and mint is a match made in culinary heaven. The roasted cherry tomatoes add so much sweetness and amazing flavour plus just the right amount of acidity you need to balance the saltiness of the halloumi.
I used wholewheat spaghetti as I love this pasta. Make a whistling noise as you slurp them into your mouth. Delish!
Creamy wholewheat pasta with halloumi pesto
This dish screams summer. The aroma of fresh mint is enough to cool a hot summer’s day. The combination of flavours is absolutely delicious. Halloumi and mint is a match made in culinary heaven. The roasted cherry tomatoes add so much sweetness and amazing flavour plus just the right amount of acidity you need to balance the saltiness of the halloumi.
Ingredients
- 500 grams cherry tomatoes
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3-4 mint sprigs, leaves only
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 500 grams wholewheat spaghetti
- 1 Tbsp heaped vegetable bullion
- About 1 cup pasta water
- 2 Tbsp roasted pine nuts
- Mint leaves to garnish
- Salt to taste
For the Halloumi pesto
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- ½ cup packed parsley leaves
- ½ cup packed mint leaves
- ¼ cup raw almonds
- 1 cup 100 grams halloumi, in chunks
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200° C, fan. Put cherry tomatoes in a baking pan and drizzle with the olive oil. Season with salt and add the pepper. Mix in the smashed garlic and throw in the mint leaves, whole. Roast tomatoes for 35-40 minutes until charred and juicy.
- Make pesto while tomatoes bake. Put all the ingredients for the pesto in a small blender or food processor. Blend until finely ground. Pesto will be fairly thick.
- To make the pasta, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season water generously with salt and add the vegetable bullion powder. Cook the pasta one minute less than than indicated time on the packet. Keep about 1 cup of the cooking water and drain.
- To finish the dish, set pan with roasted tomatoes over medium heat (If baked in a baking pan, transfer first in a skillet). Add the pasta, pesto and about half a cup pasta water to loosen the sauce. Stir well to mix everything together. Add more water if pasta seems too thick. Let the pasta heat through, about 1 minute and serve sprinkled with the pine nuts and fresh mint leaves.
