Recipe by Sophie Gordon + photography by Alice Bennett
Ingredients
250g tomatoes, any variety, whole if small, halved if larger
salt and pepper
Approx. 160–180g chopped seasonal vegetables of choice (aubergines, courgettes, fennel, green beans, mushrooms, etc.), chopped small
olive oil
Approx. 270–340g Northern Pasta Co Fusilli
2 shallots or 1 large white onion, finely chopped
6–8 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped
2 tbsp white wine or 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
approx. 300ml plant-based milk, unsweetened if possible (the thicker the better)
250ml vegetable stock
3-5 tbsp plain flour, to thicken
4 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp dried oregano
a large handful of fresh herbs (parsley, basil, or a combination), finely chopped
Method
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees fan. Spread your tomatoes, whole or halved, on a large baking tray and add a good pinch of salt and pepper.
Put them into the oven and roast for about 15–20 minutes. They’ll start to juice and become lovely and soft, with a few starting to brown on top. Once cooked, remove from the oven and set aside.
Put your chopped vegetables on a separate baking tray. Toss them with a little salt and pepper and about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and roast for about 15–20 minutes. The timing will vary depending on the size and type of vegetables you have chosen. Roast until cooked through and slightly browned. Once cooked, cover and set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook your pasta according to the packet directions. The time will vary slightly depending on what pasta you are cooking. Once cooked, drain, then put back into the pot with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil (to avoid sticking) and cover.
You’ll most likely be making your sauce while all the above is cooking, making the cook time so much shorter.
In a pan, sauté your shallots/onion in either roughly 1 tablespoon of olive oil or 2 tablespoons of water. Cook until slightly translucent and fragrant, then add the garlic and continue to cook for a further minute or so. Lower the heat and add the white wine, stirring to help combine and ‘burn off’ the alcohol slightly, about 1 minute.
Add your plant-based milk, stock, 2 tablespoons of flour, the nutritional yeast, oregano and three-quarters of the fresh herbs, and season well with salt and pepper. Mix well to combine and allow to simmer for about 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Your sauce will start to thicken as it simmers, but you can always add the extra tablespoon of flour if it is still a little too runny after 10 minutes. Season again if necessary.
Add the sauce, tomatoes (including all of the residue in the baking tray) and roasted vegetables to the pot of pasta. Add the rest of the fresh herbs and stir carefully, making sure the pasta and vegetables are coated well.
Transfer it all to a baking dish, giving a little shake to let it settle. Place back in the oven for about 5 minutes, just to heat through and for the top to go a bit crispy. To serve, dish up, adding a drizzle of olive oil should you wish.
