
Muhammara Pasta
- Simple
- 0:25 m
- 12 ingredients
Muhammara is a spicy dip made of walnuts, red bell peppers, pomegranate molasses, and breadcrumbs. We love it as a dip so we thought we'd try it as a pasta sauce and we're so pleased with the way it turned out! A marvellous mid-week dinner option for you and the family!
Serves: 4
Ingredients
For the toasted nuts and seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 100g walnuts
- 1 garlic clove
- Salt & pepper to taste
For the muhammara sauce
- 350g roasted red pepper (from a jar)
- 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 2 ½ tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
To serve
- 400g pasta
- 10g parsley
Before you start
Frying pan | Food processor | Kettle boiled | Large pan | Colander
Step 1
Toast the nuts and seeds
- Tip the walnuts into a dry frying pan and toast over high heat for 5 minutes until toasty and fragrant
- Add the cumin seeds to the pan for the final 2 minutes
- Leave to cool out of the pan
Ingredients
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 100g walnuts
- 1 garlic clove
Step 2
Cook the pasta
- Tip the pasta into a large pot of salted boiling water and cook according to package instructions (approx 8-10 minutes)
- Drain the pasta when cooked and tip it back into the pan, reserving a mug of pasta water when draining
Ingredients
- 400g pasta
- Salt & pepper to taste
Step 3
Make the muhammara
- Tip the peppers into a colander, rinse under cold water and pat dry with a clean kitchen cloth
- Add the peppers, breadcrumbs, cayenne, paprika, garlic, toasted walnuts and cumin and blitz into a textured puree
- Add the olive oil, pomegranate molasses and the juice of the lemon and pulse until well mixed
- Taste the muhammara and and season with salt and pepper
Ingredients
- 350g roasted red pepper (from a jar)
- 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 2 ½ tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
Step 4
Finish and serve
- Pick the parsley leaves and finely chop
- Add as much reserved pasta water as needed to the muhammara to get a smooth coating consistency for the pasta
- Pour the muhammara over the pasta in the pan and stir to combine
- Transfer the muhammara pasta into bowls, garnish with parsley and serve immediately
Ingredients
- 10g parsley