Make this moreish vegetarian dish as an easy starter for a dinner party. You can make it in 20 minutes and the sauce can be prepped ahead of time
Prep:10 mins
Serves 2 – 4
100g blanched almonds, roasted50g walnuts, roasted2 garlic cloves, peeled and roasted until golden400g skinned roasted red peppers, from a jar1 tsp tomato purée1 slice sourdough bread, soaked in a bit of water100ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for griddling½ tsp cayenne pepper½ tsp hot smoked paprika2-4 tsp red wine vinegarbunch spring onions, outer layer removed
STEP 1Put the nuts in the bowl of a food processor, saving a handful to serve. Add the garlic, then blitz until you have coarse crumbs. Add the red peppers and tomato purée and blitz again to a rough paste. Add the sourdough and a glug of the oil to loosen the mixture, then blitz once more until you have a slightly smoother paste. Pour the sauce into a mixing bowl and add the cayenne pepper, paprika and some seasoning. Pour in the rest of the olive oil, stirring to incorporate it. Add the vinegar, 1 tsp at a time, until the sauce has the right acidity – it should make you salivate!STEP 2For the spring onions, brush them with olive oil, season with salt and griddle over a high heat, turning occasionally, until softening at the core and charred all over. Serve the spring onions with the sauce and a scattering of almonds.
