Roast veg and pesto polenta tart

SERVES 4 INGREDIENTS

■ Low-calorie cooking oil spray

■ 1 small aubergine, diced

■ 1 courgette, diced

■ 1 red pepper, cut into squares

■ 1 yellow pepper, cut into squares

■ 1 small red onion, cut into slim wedges

■ 1 tbsp olive oil

■ Salt and pepper

■ 1 vegetable stock cube ■ 150g quick polenta

■ 50g Parmesan cheese, finely grated

■ ½ recipe quantity pesto (see recipe below)

■ Fresh basil leaves, to serve (optional)

For the pesto

■ 20g pine nuts

■ 50g fresh basil, plus a few leaves to garnish

■ 20g Parmesan cheese, grated

■ 2 garlic cloves

■ 60ml extra virgin olive oil

■ Salt and pepper

1

First, make the pesto. Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan, stirring constantly, until they’re golden brown. Add to a blender with the basil, Parmesan and garlic, and blitz until everything is well chopped. With the motor still running, trickle in the extra virgin olive oil and blend until it’s smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C fan/gas mark 7 and spray a 23cm loose-based tart or pie tin with some cooking spray.

3

Spread the vegetables out on a large baking tray and drizzle with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, then toss everything to coat with oil. Roast for around 30 minutes, or until everything is golden and tender.

4

Meanwhile, measure out 600ml water and bring to the boil in a pan. Add the vegetable stock cube and stir until dissolved, then turn the heat down to medium so the water is at a gentle boil rather than rolling. 5

With a wooden spoon in one hand and the polenta in the other, pour the polenta into the water in a thin and steady stream, beating all the time to avoid lumps.

6

Add the grated Parmesan and keep cooking and stirring over the heat for about 5 minutes, until the polenta is really thickening up.

7

Pour the polenta into the tart tin and spread level, then pop it in the oven below the vegetables. Give the vegetables a stir at this point, as they are probably halfway through cooking. Cook the tart base for 30 minutes, until firm and golden on top.

8

Once your tart base and vegetables are all cooked, allow the base to cool for a couple of minutes, then remove it from the tin.

9

Pile the veg onto the base and drizzle over the pesto. Garnish with extra basil leaves, if you like.

10

If you are meal-prepping this, keep the pesto in a separate sealed container and pour it over just before eating.