Miso Pesto Pasta Salad with Chilli Crisp Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes Recipe
by Kenji Morimoto
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15 minutes prep time
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15 minutes cook time
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Easy
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 really elevates this dish. It’s also great at room temperature, so a perfect meal to take along on a picnic or to prepare for weekday meals in the office.
Craving some additional freshness? Throw in fresh greens, such as rocket, watercress or chopped kale (massaged with a bit of salt and extra virgin olive oil), or a few handfuls of sauerkraut, brine squeezed out.
This recipe is extracted from Ferment, by Kenji Morimoto. Published by One Boat, an imprint of Pan Macmillan, £22
Ingredients
Ingredients for the pesto
- 40g cashews
- 70g basil
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled
- 1 tbsp red miso
- 60ml extra virgin olive oil
Ingredients for the chilli crisp balsamic roasted tomatos
- 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
How to make Ten-Minute Miso Peanut Butter Kimchi Noodles
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To make the pesto, put all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz to your desired consistency. I prefer a pesto that is more of a rough paste and not too pureed. Adjust the seasoning with salt to taste – but remember that additional seasoning will come from the tomatoes.
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To make the chilli crisp balsamic roasted tomatoes, preheat the oven to 230ºC (fan 220℃/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. This is delicious on its own, with crusty bread.
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While the tomatoes are roasting, toast the cashews in a dry pan over a low heat until lightly browned, around 3 minutes. Roughly crush the cashews – no need for uniformity, rugged is best. If you do not have a mortar and pestle, crush them on a cutting board, using the bottom of a pan.
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Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Drain, reserving 120ml of the pasta cooking water.
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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. Served in warmed bowls. Dollop the roasted tomatoes on top of the pasta, followed by the crushed cashews and sliced basil.
About the author
Kenji Morimoto is a content creator and food writer based in London. As a fourth generation Japanese American, his cultural identity has always been grounded in food. As a child, he was in charge of making tsukemono (Japanese pickles) for family gatherings, learning from and surrounded by elders recreating flavours of home. Since then, he's cooked in kitchens in Poland, led fermentation and Japanese focused supper clubs in London, taught workshops on koji and kimchi (as well as with Ottolenghi), published in Waitrose Magazine, and spoken on panels at the British Library on themes of community, food, and immigrant narratives.
