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Charred Pepper and Halloumi Pasta

Recipe

Chunky charred red pepper and tomato sauce with golden halloumi bits. What’s not to love?

Serves: 4 | Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 35 mins

British | MOB | Vegetarian  

Ingredients  

  • 6 Bell Peppers
  • 1 Extra-Large Onion
  • 5 Garlic Cloves
  • 750g Cherry tomatoes
  • 225g Halloumi
  • 30g Fresh Basil
  • 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 400g Pasta

From The Cupboard

  • 1 tbsp Sugar
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Olive Oil

Method

  1. Using a pair of tongs, place the bell peppers over an open flame on the hob. Cook, turning often, until charred all over. If you don’t have a gas stove, you can char your bell peppers under the grill in the oven.
  2. Transfer the peppers to a bowl, cover with cling film and leave for 10 mins. The steam created will make it easier to peel the skins off.
  3. Meanwhile, finely chop the onion, mince the garlic, halve the baby plum tomatoes and dice the halloumi into 1 cm-ish cubes.
  4. Peel the peppers and slice into thin strips.
  5. Heat a splash of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the halloumi cubes until golden all over then transfer to a plate.
  6. Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water until it’s al dente.
  7. Heat a splash of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, around 5 mins.
  8. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min then add the baby plum tomatoes and 150ml water. Season generously with salt and pepper and cook for 5 mins, or until the tomatoes begin to break down. Stir in the sliced bell peppers, add the cider vinegar, sugar and season again with salt and pepper. Cook for a further 5 mins.
  9. Roughly chop the basil.
  10. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the fresh basil. Taste and adjust the salt level to your liking.
  11. Drain the pasta, reserving a few ladlefuls of the pasta cooking water. Add the pasta to the sauce with the halloumi cubes and a ladleful or two of the pasta cooking water and toss until the sauce nicely coats the pasta. Divide between bowls, serve and enjoy.