Ingredients:
• 400g vegan tagliatelle
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 100g fresh basil leaves
• 50g rocket (arugula), plus extra for garnish
• 30g pine nuts
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 100ml extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 100g sun-dried tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
• 80g pitted black olives
Method:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the tagliatelle and cook according to the package instructions, or until al dente. Once cooked, drain and reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water. Set the tagliatelle aside.
2. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the pesto. In a food processor, combine the fresh basil leaves, rocket, pine nuts, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and minced garlic. Blend until well combined, slowly pouring in the extra virgin olive oil while processing until a smooth pesto forms. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
3. In a large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the drained sun-dried tomatoes and sauté for 2-3 minutes, allowing their flavours to deepen. Add the pitted black olives and stir well to combine, letting them warm through for another minute.
4. Reduce the heat to low and add the cooked tagliatelle to the pan. Toss gently to coat the pasta with the sun-dried tomatoes and olives. Add the prepared pesto to the pasta, using a little of the reserved pasta cooking water if needed to help loosen the sauce and ensure every strand is evenly coated.
5. Once everything is well combined and heated through, remove from the heat. Serve the tagliatelle in bowls, garnishing with a handful of fresh rocket leaves for an added peppery bite.
by Whiterabbit2000