House & Garden UK
Ingredients
Handful of basil leaves
Handful of flat-leaf parsley
50g (1 ¾oz) freshly grated Parmesan
1 clove garlic
100g (3 ½oz) walnuts or cashews
100g (5fl oz) olive oil
2 x 300g (10oz) lamb loin fillets, trimmed
250g (8oz) cherry tomatoes on the vine
2 baby gem lettuce, cut into quarters
Method
Heat the oven to 180 degrees celcius (gas mark 4). Put the basil, parsley, Parmesan, garlic and walnuts in a food processor with the olive oil and blend to a chunky pesto. Transfer to a bowl and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Heat a heavy-based frying pan over a high heat and sear the lamb fillets for 2 minutes on each side. Put them on a baking tray and bake for 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate, season with sea salt, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the tomatoes – still on the vine – on a baking tray and roast for 10 minutes, or until they start to split.
Divide the lettuce quarters among four warmed plates. Slice the lamb fillets on the diagonal and arrange over the lettuce, then top with the tomatoes and a large spoonful of pesto. Serve drizzled with a little of the pesto oil.
Tip
This pesto will keep for several days in the fridge. It can also be served with a salad of goats cheese and roast beetroot or spooned over thinly sliced roast beef.
Feature Image: Unsplash
