Emily Kydd’s roasted vegetable pesto rice is packed full of vitamins and fresh flavours. The nutty pesto adds the perfect finish, creating a lusciously healthy recipe

The pesto dressing doesn’t include cheese, so if you want to make this salad vegan, just leave out the Parmesan shavings at the end.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 large courgette, sliced into 5mm rounds

• 1 red onion, cut into wedges

• 1 aubergine, cut into 1.5cm cubes

• 2 peppers, cut into chunks (red or yellow, or a mix)

• 2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 250g wild rice

• 100g spinach, roughly sliced

• 25g parmesan shavings

• salt

• freshly ground black pepper

For the pesto:

• 50g almonds

• 50g basil leaves

• 1 garlic clove, crushed

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 lemon, zested and a squeeze of juice

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C. Toss the courgette, onion, aubergine and red and yellow peppers in 2½ tbsp oil with some seasoning. Tip onto parchment-lined baking trays, spreading out to a single layer. Roast for 35 – 45 minutes until golden and beginning to caramelise.

2 Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the packet instructions. Drain, then spread it out on a tray and leave to cool.

3 To make the pesto, toast the almonds in the oven for 5–8 minutes until golden, then tip them into the small bowl of a food processor.

4 Add the basil, garlic, 3 tbsp oil, plenty of seasoning and 4 –5 tbsp water, and the lemon zest and juice.

5 Blitz until smooth. Stir 5 tbsp of the dressing through the rice, along with the spinach. Taste and season, then arrange on a serving plate.

6 Spoon over the vegetables and drizzle over the remaining dressing. To with Parmesan shavings and grind over some black pepper.

Recipe courtesy of Emily Kydd, extracted from Posh Rice