Red Pesto and Halloumi Cheese Pasta Recipe
This super simple and quick halloumi cheese pasta with red sun-dried tomato pasta is the ideal midweek dinner that can go from your store cupboard to your table in around 15-20 minutes.
Servings 2 Servings
Calories 786kcal
Ingredients
- 175 g Dried Pasta 6oz (I use mezzi rigatoni.)
- 1 Small Red Onion 100g
- 4 Cloves Garlic
- 175 g Halloumi Cheese 6oz
- 125 g Sundried Tomato Pesto ½ Cup
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- Salt for Boiling Pasta (1½ teaspoon for a pan 20cm or 8" pan)
- Lots of Fresh Shredded Basil
Homemade Sun Dried Tomato Pesto (Pesto Rosso):
- 25 g Pine Nuts 3 Tbsp
- 25 g Basil Leaves ½ Packed Cup
- 50 g Drained Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Oil ¼ Cup
- 30 g Parmesan Cheese ⅓ Cup
- 35-50 ml Olive Oil 2-3 tablespoon
Instructions
- Bring a 20cm or 8" pan of well salted water to a boil.
- Cut a red onion in half, peel it and then cut it into a 5-6mm (¼") dice.
- Peel and dice the garlic as finely as you can.
- Cut the halloumi cheese into a 10-12mm dice (½").
- By now the water should be boiling, add the pasta and cook it for 30-60 seconds less than it says on the packet or until it is nicely al-dente.
- A few minutes after the pasta has been cooking, heat a 30cm or 12" frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the olive oil when it is hot. Throw in the halloumi cheese and red onion and cook for 6-7 minutes, by now the cheese and the onions should be nicely golden.
- Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- The pasta should now be cooked; drain it, reserving around 75ml (⅓ cup) of the cooking water.Turn the heat under the cheese to low and add the pasta and pesto, and give it all a stir, adding as much cooking liquid as needed to form a nice coating.
- Throw in lots of shredded basil and serve.
To Make Homemade Pesto Rosso:
- Toast the pine nuts in a small (20cm or 8") frying pan and transfer to a mini blender or pestle and mortar.
- Add the remaining ingredients and blend or pound to a coarse paste.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 786kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 31g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 1013mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g
