Nathan Anthony’s slow cooker red pepper bruschetta pasta

This is the recipe Nathan Anthony came up with when trying to decide between two favourite dishes: bruschetta and pasta.

“The result is this soft pasta with lots of flavour, crunchy croutons and a drizzle of balsamic: stunning. I do enjoy making my own sourdough croutons in the air fryer or the oven, but shop-bought croutons work very well if you don’t have the time,” he says.

Red Pepper Bruschetta Pasta

Ingredients (serves 3):

2 x 300g jars of roasted red peppers, chopped
15 cherry tomatoes, quartered
700g passata
1tsp dried oregano
4 garlic cloves, grated
Generous handful of fresh basil
250g fresh lasagne sheets, cut into thick strands
Salt and pepper, to taste
4tsp balsamic vinegar
Croutons
50g grated vegetarian Parmesan cheese, to serve

Method:

1. Add the peppers, tomatoes, passata, oregano, grated garlic, salt and pepper and most of the basil to the slow cooker. Cook on high for two hours or low for four hours.

2. Add the lasagne strands and cook for a further 20–25 minutes (if cooking on low, you may need slightly longer).

3. Plate up and top the pasta with the balsamic vinegar, croutons, Parmesan and remaining fresh basil.

Tip: To make your own sourdough croutons, cube a couple of slices of bread, toss them in olive oil and put in the air fryer at 200°C for six minutes, or on a baking tray in a 200°C oven for 10–12 minutes.

Bored Of Lunch: Healthy Slow Cooker Even Easier by Nathan Anthony is published by Ebury Press, priced £20. Photography by Dan Jones. Available now