Miso Pesto Pasta Salad with Chilli Crisp Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes

From Kenji Morimoto’s Ferment cookbook

This quick weeknight meal is a feast of layered umami: not only from the miso in the pesto but also from the tomatoes, slow roasted in a sticky and sweet balsamic and chilli crisp dressing. Both elements can be made independently – the pesto is a super-quick vegan version – but the addition of the tomatoes elevates this dish. It’s also great at room temperature, so a perfect meal for picnics or to prepare for weekday work lunches. For additional freshness, throw in rocket, watercress or chopped kale (massaged with a bit of salt and extra virgin olive oil).

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 10g cashews
• 300–350g pasta (my favourites are casarecce, penne or fusilli)
• salt and pepper
• handful of fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced, to garnish
• lemon wedges, to serve

For the pesto

• 40g cashews
• 70g basil
• 1 large garlic clove, peeled
• 1 tbsp red miso
• 60ml extra virgin olive oil

For the chilli crisp balsamic roasted tomatoes

• 500g cherry tomatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp chilli crisp or chilli oil (Laoganma is my favourite brand)
• 2 tbsp white sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method

1. To make the pesto, put all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz to your desired consistency. I prefer a rough-textured pesto that is not too pureed. Adjust the seasoning with salt to taste – but additional seasoning will come from the tomatoes.

2. To make the chilli crisp balsamic roasted tomatoes, preheat the oven to 230°C (fan 220°C/gas mark 8) and line a baking tray with baking paper. Put all of the ingredients for the tomatoes on the lined baking tray and roast for 15 minutes. Give the tray an occasional shake and after 7–8 minutes, use a wooden spoon to smash some of the tomatoes – the beginning of a jammy sauce. Once the tomatoes are done, use a metal spatula to scrape off all of the residual bits from the paper and mix them back into the sauce.

3. While the tomatoes are roasting, toast the cashews in a dry pan over a low heat until lightly browned, around 3 minutes.

4. Roughly crush the cashews – rugged is best. If you do not have a pestle and mortar, crush them on a cutting board, using the bottom of a pan.

5. Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Drain, reserving 120ml of the pasta cooking water.

6. Return the drained pasta to the pan, add the pesto and mix until fully combined. You may need to add some of the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen it. Dollop the roasted tomatoes on top of the pasta, followed by the crushed cashews, sliced basil and a lemon wedge.