ROASTED VEGETABLE PASTA WITH MOZZARELLA

A COMFORTING, rich dish that’s a doddle to prepare. It is best cooked with bean, pea or lentil pasta, which is higher in protein and fibre.

SERVES 2

2 peppers (any colour), deseeded and cut into roughly 2cm chunks

1 medium courgette, trimmed, quartered lengthways and cut into roughly 2cm chunks

1 large red onion, peeled and cut into 12 wedges 2 tbsp olive oil 12 cherry tomatoes, halved

½ tsp crushed dried chilli flakes (to taste)

50g dried bean, pea, lentil or wholewheat penne pasta 50g young spinach leaves 125g mozzarella pearls (mini balls), drained and halved PREHEAT the oven to 200c/ fan 180c/gas 6. Place the peppers, courgette and onion on a large baking tray. Drizzle with the oil, season with sea salt and lots of ground black pepper and toss together. Roast for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn all the vegetables. Add the tomatoes and sprinkle with the chilli flakes. Cook for a further 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Meanwhile, half fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add the pasta and stir. Return to the boil and cook for about 10-12 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta and return to the pan. Add the spinach, roasted vegetables and mozzarella pearls to the pan, toss everything together and season with more ground black pepper. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring until the mozzarella begins to melt and the spinach wilts.

COOK’S TIP: To reduce the sugars released when eating a starchy food like pasta by up to 50 per cent, try the cook-cool-cook method. Cook your pasta, rice or potatoes as you would normally. Then cool them, ideally for 12 hours, in the fridge. When you heat them up fully again, you convert some of the simple starch into non-digestible resistant starch.

NON-FAST DAYS: Sprinkle 25g lightly toasted pine nuts or walnuts over the pasta and serve with grated Parmesan and a mixed salad.