“Spelt spaghetti has an incredible nutty taste and is a great alternative to regular spaghetti as it’s high in wheat bran fibre, or beta-glucans, which help keep our cholesterol levels in check. ”
Ingredients
- olive oil
- ½ a bunch of fresh thyme , (15g)
- 4 cloves of garlic
- ½ -1 fresh red chilli
- 1 lemon
- 500 g ripe mixed-colour cherry tomatoes , on the vine
- 250 g best-quality ricotta cheese
- 320 g dried wholewheat spelt spaghetti
- 4 handfuls of rocket
- balsamic vinegar , optional
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
- Pour 3 tablespoons of oil into a small bowl. Run the bunch of thyme under a hot tap for 3 seconds to reawaken it, then shake dry and strip the leaves into the oil.
- Peel the garlic, then finely slice it with the chilli and add to the bowl. Finely grate in the lemon zest, add a pinch of sea salt and black pepper and mix together.
- Lay the cherry tomatoes in a 30cm x 40cm baking tray. Rub the flavoured oil all over the ricotta and place in the centre of the tray, then gently rub the remaining oil over the tomatoes.
- Add a splash of water to the tray, place in the oven and roast for 45 minutes, then remove. With 10 minutes to go, cook the spaghetti in a pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions.
- Lift the ricotta out of the tray, then shake the tomatoes off the vines, discarding the stalks. Add half a mug of pasta water to the tray and gently shake to loosen all the sticky goodness from the base.
- Drain the spaghetti and toss straight into the tray with a squeeze of lemon juice, season to perfection, then break that beautiful ricotta over the top.
- Sprinkle over the rocket, toss together well, then serve. My missus likes this with a little drizzle of balsamic, too.
Tips
EASY SWAPS
– Switch the ricotta for a block of feta.
– Sprinkle over crisp green salad leaves instead of the rocket.
GO VEGAN
– You could substitute the ricotta for celeriac slices or a quartered head of cauliflower.
Source: Jamie Oliver
