Crispy bread & courgette salad with walnut and basil pesto

Name: Crispy bread & courgette salad with walnut and basil pesto
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 25 g basil from a large pot Cook’s Ingredients Basil, stalks and leaves (most of the plant, with enough left to regrow); 25 g wild rocket; 50 g pecorino, grated; 1 clove garlic, crushed; 50 g walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped (see tip); 4 tbsp olive oil; ½ lemon, juice

Make this lovely warm salad as a lunch or supper on its own to serve 2 or serve it with a roast chicken or joint of beef for a spring Sunday roast as a side to serve 4. There will be leftover pesto – see cook’s tips for ideas of what to do with it.

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Serves2
CourseSide
Prepare15 mins
Cook25 mins
Total time40 mins

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For the pesto

25g basil from a large pot Cook’s Ingredients Basil, stalks and leaves (most of the plant, with enough left to regrow)
25g wild rocket
50g pecorino, grated
1 clove garlic, crushed
50g walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped (see tip)
4 tbsp olive oil
½ lemon, juice

For the salad

4 tbsp olive oil, for frying
125g bread from a stonebaked grand rustique, cut into 2cm cubes
500g pack courgettes, ends trimmed, each sliced lengthways into 4
Large handful wild rocket

Start by making the pesto. Put the basil, rocket, pecorino, garlic and walnuts into a small food processor and blitz until finely chopped. Blitz in half the oil, then stir in the remainder. Reserve half the pesto for another day and mix the rest with the lemon juice. Season to taste, then set aside.
For the salad, heat 2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over a high heat, and when shimmering, fry the croutons for 3-4 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and toasted all over. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper, then wipe the pan out, add 1 tbsp oil and return to the heat.
Fry the courgettes in 3 batches for 3-4 minutes each side, until dark golden and cooked through. Drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper and repeat until all the courgettes are cooked, adding extra oil as needed.
Arrange the courgettes and croutons with the large handful of rocket on a platter. Drizzle the pesto dressing over the top. Season, then serve immediately, scattered with some chilli flakes or black pepper, if liked.

Cook’s tip

Transfer leftover pesto to an airtight container or jar and cover with a thin layer of oil. It will keep for a week like this. Stir it through pasta, spoon over chicken breasts or add to soft cheese to make a dip for crudités or crisps. To toast walnuts, spread them out on a baking tray and roast in an oven preheated to 180°C, gas mark 4 for 8-10 minutes, until fragrant and a rich brown when you rub their skins off.

Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe