Ingredients
- <ul> <li>2 fat carrots</li> <li>2 small to medium courgettes</li> <li>3 red peppers (or 1 jar of roasted peppers)</li> <li>1 cup walnuts</li> <li>1/3 cup wheat-free breadcrumbs</li> <li>3 garlic cloves, minced andmashed to a paste with half teaspoon salt flakes</li> <li>4 tbsp tomato purée</li> <li>1 tbsp pomegranate molasses</li> <li>1 tsp ground cumin</li> <li>pinch of dried chilli flakes</li> <li>1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil</li> <li>fresh lemon juice, to taste (optional)</li> </ul>
Last time I made these noodles, I necked the entire batch. My husband’s roar was heard several postcodes away.
Spiralise the carrots and courgettes. Large courgettes can taste bitter and fluffy, so it’s worth hunting down the smaller ones. Let’s get making the muhammara. To prep the peppers, place them directly on the middle shelf in a very hot oven. Let them roast for around 40 minutes, until they’re on the brink of collapse. Don’t worry if their skin is blistered or black. It’s what’s inside that counts.
Gently remove the roasted peppers from the oven by pulling the stalk of each one and catching them in a large bowl. Cover the bowl with cling film for 10 minutes. This makes it much easier to remove their skins.
Pinch off the skin and discard, along with the stalks and seeds.
To prep the walnuts, smash them in a pestle and mortar until their natural oils begin to be released. Or you could use the base of a saucepan, so long as the neighbours aren’t in.
Purée the rest of the ingredients except the olive oil and lemon juice, to a smooth, creamy dip. Now stir through the olive oil. Any sooner, and your muhammara will look like something Peppa Pig expelled.
Stir through the walnuts. Taste, and adjust with a squeeze of lemon or more chilli flakes if you fancy. Tumble into your prepped noodles and divide between your serving bowls. Black olives and hummus make for groovy companions.
From The Extra Virgin Kitchen , published by Gill & Macmillan, €27.99.
