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Gina @ The Passionate Pantry

Sundried Tomato, Capers and Black Olive Pasta

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Servings: 4 adult serves
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

INGREDIENTS FOR SAUCE

  • 50 g capers drained
  • 50 g pitted kalamata olives cut in half
  • 20 g fresh basil leaves torn into pieces

  • 1 clove garlic

  • 60 g parmesan cheese cut in cubes
  • 120 g sundried tomatoes without oil so drain really well
  • 150 g roasted red peppers from a jar, drained
  • 150 g fresh red capsicum
  • 150 g mix of toasted sunflower seeds and pepitas
  • 40 g olive oil
  • 40 g white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes or fresh red chilli if preferred
  • 2 tsp sea salt flakes

INGREDIENTS FOR PASTA

  • 500 g penne or fusilli pasta
  • 1.2 litres of water
  • 20 g olive oil
  • 1 tsp sea salt flakes

  • FOR SERVING

  • Extra grated parmesan cheese for sprinkling
  • Fresh basil leaves torn

Method
 

METHOD FOR SAUCE
  1. Place the capers, olives and basil leaves into a large mixing bowl big enough to take the pasta when it is cooked
  2. NB: If you don't already have milled parmesan handy for serving, place up to 250g (cut into cubes) into ™ bowl and mill 10 seconds / speed 9 ... put aside for later, and what is not used keep in the freezer where it will keep for some time ... do not clean ™ bowl
  3. Place garlic into TM bowl and chop 3 seconds / speed 7
  4. Add the rest of the ingredients and Turbo x 1 second x 3 times
  5. Stir mix around and repeat Turbo x 1 second x 3 times
  6. Stir mix around and repeat for a final time Turbo x 1 second x 3 times (I prefer to Turbo instead of chopping so that I can control the texture of the sauce as I prefer it to be course)
  7. Pour sauce into the bowl with capers, olives and basil leaves and stir though … put aside whilst you cook pasta … do not clean TM bowl

METHOD FOR PASTA
  1. Place water, oil and salt into TM bowl and cook 10 minutes / 100 degrees / speed 1
  2. Add pasta through MC hole and cook 12 minutes* / 100 degrees / reverse / speed soft (spoon symbol) (* cook for the time the packet states, but for this dish I like to add an extra minute, so my packet stated 11 minutes cooking time but I cooked the pasta for 12 minutes)
  3. Drain pasta into colander, and sit colander on top of ™ bowl while you move it over to the sauce bowl ready for mixing
  4. Place pasta directly into the sauce ingredients and stir through
  5. Serve each dish sprinkled with extra parmesan and freshly torn basil leaves

Notes

To bake the seeds heat oven to 180 degrees fan forced, and bake for 6 to 8 minutes ... check at 6 minutes as they can toast quickly, then add extra 2 minutes until done to your liking.
The sauce is uncooked so is made first in the ™ bowl, then put aside into a large mixing bowl where you will add your cooked pasta and mix it through ... there is no need to clean the ™ bowl before cooking your pasta, just fill it with 1.2 litres of water to start the process. This not only saves on time and washing, but also "seasons" the water you are going to cook the pasta in adding more flavour to it.
This pasta is also delicious cold (I had some the next day for lunch), and I can imagine it being served as a pasta salad in summer sprinkled with extra herbs and feta cheese or shavings of parmesan, perfect for a BBQ or picnic.
I only added a teaspoon of chilli flakes, but if you like it spicier add fresh red chilli instead.