Description
A delightful dish featuring grilled halloumi cheese served over pasta, tossed in a peppery rocket pesto.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces of pasta (your choice, but recommended fettuccine or penne)
- 1 block (about 8 ounces) of halloumi cheese, sliced into 1/2-inch thick pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grilling
- 1 cup fresh rocket (arugula)
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Cherry tomatoes, halved (for garnish)
- Extra rocket leaves (for garnish)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain and set aside.
- Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill over medium-high heat. Brush the halloumi slices with olive oil and grill for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- In a food processor, combine rocket, basil, toasted pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and blend until smooth, adding reserved pasta water as needed.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained pasta with the rocket pesto and toss to coat. Add more reserved pasta water if it seems dry.
- Plate the pesto pasta and top with grilled halloumi slices. Garnish with halved cherry tomatoes and extra rocket leaves.
Notes
- Feel free to use any pasta shape you prefer.
- Make sure to grill the halloumi until it has nice grill marks for the best flavor.
- Adjust the amount of garlic and lemon juice in the pesto to suit your taste.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Grilling and Blending
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
Keywords: Grilled Halloumi, Pasta, Rocket Pesto, Vegetarian Recipe