ROASTED MARCH VEGETABLE “PASTA” (vegan, gf, df)

Impossible to eat the rainbow in the winter? No way! You just need to find out what’s in season locally.

Even in March we can already see some spring colours move in here in the UK. And those colourful veg are just crying out to be used in yummy home-cooked meals.

In season this month are cucumber, spring Greens, watercress, artichoke, leeks, sorrel, spring onions, chicory, parsnip, purple sprouting broccoli, beetroot, rhubarb, carrots and radishes. (Source: vegsoc.org)

Challenge: We’re going to try and use as many of those as possible for today’s carrot pasta recipe. Ready? Here we go:

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 2)

• 2tbsp coconut oil

• 1 garlic bulb, halved horizontally through the middle

• 1/2 bunch (3-4) spring onions, sliced

• 1 medium sized leek, sliced

• 1 parsnip, diced

• 2 large tomatoes, quartered

• 120g purple sprouting broccoli

• 2 large carrots

• 400g can chopped tomatoes

• 1-2tbsp parsley (fresh or dried)

• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained

• 1tbsp Italian mixed herbs

METHOD

1. Heat oven to 180°C fan and put the oil in a roasting tin. Tip in the garlic and all the fresh veg (except the broccoli, carrots and chopped tomatoes), then toss with your hands to coat in the oil. Season well and roast for 45 mins.

2. Remove the garlic from the roasting tin and squeeze out the softened cloves all over the veg, stirring to evenly distribute.

3. Place the broccoli in a steamer over boiling water and cook for 6-8 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, spiralise the carrots and sauté them in a pan for about 5 minutes until tender.

5. In a medium pan, simmer the chopped tomatoes and Italian herbs until bubbling, add the chickpeas and stir until warmed through.

6. Season well and stir the tomato/chickpea mixture, broccoli and carrot pasta into the roasted veg in the tin. Scatter over the parsley and serve.

To tick off even more March veg you could serve this dish with a salad of watercress, chicory, artichoke hearts, beetroot, cucumber and radishes. For dessert you could have a lovely rhubarb compote with coconut yoghurt. Boom!