Penne with Artichokes, Peppers, Spinach & Almonds
This pasta dish has a Spanish twist with chargrilled artichokes and roasted red peppers combined with toasted almonds. It’s a delightfully simple and tasty recipe using store cupboard ingredients and great for a mid-week supper. Use the best quality jarred artichokes you can find – the chargrilled ones in oil really do add extra flavour to the dish. If you aren’t following a vegan diet, top with some grated vegetarian hard cheese.
Method
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a rolling boil, add the penne, stir once, then cook until al dente, according to the packet instructions.
Meanwhile, strain the olive oil from the jar of artichokes into a large frying pan, then cut the artichoke hearts into quarters and set aside. Set the frying pan over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and chilli and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the artichoke hearts to the pan along with the red pepper strips and olives, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cook for 2–3 minutes to warm through, then stir through the almonds and a good drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Cook for 1 minute, then add the spinach to the pan, a handful at a time, and allow to just wilt down.
Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the vegetables along with 2 tablespoons of the reserved cooking water, stirring to combine. Add the parsley and lemon zest and check for seasoning.
To serve, share the pasta among warmed pasta bowls, drizzle with a little extra olive oil, if needed, and scatter with the parsley and toasted flaked almonds, if using.
Ingredients
- 400g dried penne pasta or other short pasta of choice
- 1 x 175g jar chargrilled artichoke hearts in olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 medium-hot red chilli, finely chopped
- 3 roasted red peppers from a jar, sliced
- 50g Spanish or Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- 35g chopped almonds, lightly toasted
- extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 100g baby spinach leaves
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra to garnish
- zest from 1 lemon
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- handful of flaked almonds, lightly toasted to garnish (optional)