Roasted Pepper Pasta with Wholewheat Spaghetti

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan. Halve and de-seed the red peppers. Place them on a baking tray, skin-side up. Drizzle with vegetable oil and roast for 30 min or until the skins are charred. Set aside and allow to cool (see pro tip!). Once cool enough to handle, remove the skins.

Meanwhile, peel and mince the garlic. Grate the Parmesan. Heat a large pan over a medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the garlic and panko. Cook for 3 min, stirring, until the panko is toasted. Transfer to a bowl and add half of the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Chop the tomatoes into quarters.  

When the peppers are almost ready, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Once boiling, add the whole-wheat pasta and cook for 10-12 min until 'al dente' or cooked to your liking. Drain.

Meanwhile, once ready, add the roasted red peppers, a pinch of chilli flakes (spicy!), the cream cheese, olive oil, remaining Parmesan, 100/150/200ml milk, vegetable stock cube, brown sugar, garlic onion powder, tomato paste, smoked paprika and a squeeze of lemon juice to a blender. Blend for 2 min until smooth. 

Return the drained pasta to its pan with the blitzed pepper sauce. Warm over a medium heat for 3 min.

Divide the roasted pepper pasta among plates. Top with the cherry tomatoes. Garnish with the bread crumbs. Tear the basil over the top. Serve immediately.