This Rocket Pesto Halloumi Pasta recipe is our favourite vegetarian dish to prepare for an Italian feast.
Peppery rocket leaves are combined with zesty garlic to produce a flavour packed sauce that is tossed with an dente pasta and tender cannellini beans then topped with crispy fried halloumi cheese.
We love serving this healthy pasta recipe on Meatless Mondays as a main course alongside a selection of fresh salads.
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What Is Halloumi Pasta?
I love making this healthy vegetarian pasta dish for dinner as it’s full of nutritious ingredients while also boasting contrasts in texture and big flavour.
Halloumi is a semi-hard, unripened cheese made from a mixture of goat and sheep milk, and sometimes also cow milk. It has a high melting point so it is most often fried or grilled, a property that makes it a popular meat substitute for vegetarians. Its firm texture when cooked causes it to squeak on the teeth when being chewed.
Halloumi is often associated with the island of Cyprus, where it has been produced for many centuries. It is also popular throughout the Eastern Mediterranean in countries like Greece and Turkey.
Pesto is an paste traditionally made of crushed garlic, pine nuts, salt, basil leaves, grated cheese such as Parmesan or pecorino, and olive oil. It originated in the Italian city of Genoa, and is used to dress pasta and sometimes soups.
Rocket, also known as arugula, is a leafy vegetable famous for its fresh, tart, bitter and peppery flavour. It’s commonly used in salads, topped on pizzas and blitzed together in homemade sauces like Rocket Pesto.
This homemade Halloumi Pasta recipe features crispy fried cheese served over al dente noodles that are tossed in a bright green Rocket Pesto with plump cannellini beans.
Other Halloumi recipes you might enjoy…
Ingredients
Before cooking this pasta recipe at home fiddle through your fridge and kitchen cupboards to ensure you have all the ingredients on hand and compile a grocery list. You’ll need:
- Olive Oil
- Garlic Cloves
- Serrano Chile
- Canned Cannellini Beans
- Dried Penne or Rigatoni Pasta
- Chicken or Vegetable Stock
- Lemon Juice
- Halloumi Cheese
- Salt and Pepper
- Pine Nuts
- Rocket / Arugula
- Parsley
Instructions
Follow our step-by-step recipe instructions to prepare this easy Halloumi Pasta recipe with homemade Rocket Pesto:
- Put the oil into a large saute pan, for which you have a lid, and place on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the garlic and chile and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the garlic is golden. Add the beans, pasta, stock and 1.5 tsp salt and plenty of pepper and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat down to medium, cover with a lid, and cook for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it sit, lid off, for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the pesto by first putting the pine nuts, garlic, arugula, parsley, 3 tbsp of oil and 1/4 tsp salt, and a good grind of pepper into a food processor. Pulse a few times, scraping down the bowl until you have a coarse paste. Stir in the remaining 3 tbsp of oil.
- Meanwhile, pan fry halloumi chunks over a high heat until golden brown and crispy on each side.
- When ready, stir the lemon juice and the pesto into the pasta, toss then transfer to a large shallow bowl.
- Garnish with crispy halloumi cheese and serve hot.
Rocket Pesto Halloumi Pasta Recipe Cooking Tips
This Rocket Pesto Halloumi Pasta recipe is easy to make at home. Here are some helpful tips and tricks to get you started.
- If you’re having company over for dinner we suggest preparing the Rocket Pesto in advance, even the day before. We like to prepare it in a food processor but you can go old school and combine the ingredients in a mortar and pestle.
- When boiling the water be sure to add a generous amount of salt (1-2 tablespoons) to ensure the cooked pasta tastes salty.
- We’ve used a chile in this recipe to give it a spicy heat but if you can’t find a fresh chile feel free to substitute with a few shakes of chili powder. If you don’t like spicy food feel free to omit.
- We like to use cannellini beans when preparing this pasta dish as it adds healthy protein and fibre. You can substitue for chickpeas if you prefer.
- We like to use penne, rigatoni or fusilli pasta when making this recipe but you can use whatever pasta shape you’d prefer.
- We’ve used chicken stock in this recipe but if you’re vegetarian feel free to use vegetable stock as a substitute.
- Only use fresh lemon juice and never concentrate as you can taste the difference. Add a little lemon zest to the dish to give it a more vibrant citrusy flavour.
- We like to cut the halloumi cheese into cubes as they appear like croutons on the top of the pasta and are easy to pierce with a fork. You can also cut the cheese into thin slices, quickly fry them until crispy and then toss them with the pasta before serving.
- We’ve used pine nuts in the Rocket Pesto recipe but if you want to substitute for a more affordable option feel free to use roasted almonds, walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts.
- We’ve used fresh parsley in the pesto but you can use a variety of tender herbs like cilantro, basil or mint.
What To Serve with Rocket Pesto Halloumi Pasta
There’s nothing more satisfying than forking through this mouth-watering Halloumi Pasta recipe.
The healthy vegetarian pasta dish is best served as a main course at lunch or dinner.
It’s an easy and affordable dish to whip up last minute, best accompanied by fresh salads like Burrata Caprese, Pipirrana Spanish Summer Tuna Salad, Grapefruit Fennel Shrimp Salad, Toasted Pecan Parmesan Pear and Rocket Salad, Romaine Salad With Tahini Caesar Dressing and Roasted Pumpkin Feta Salad.
If you’re hosting an Italian-themed dinner party you might want to serve our this Rocket Pesto Pasta recipe with:
- Creamy Italian Risotto al Limone
- Roasted Tomato and Mozzarella Caprese Risotto
- Cheesy Meat Lovers Italian Stromboli Pizza
- Patate in Umido Tuscan Potatoes
- Italian Veal Piccatina al Limone
- Fagioli all’Uccelletto Tuscan Beans in Tomato Sauce
- Spicy Italian Pork Sausage Burgers
- Sartu Di Riso Italian Baked Risotto
- Crispy Roast Chicken and Leek Risotto
- Fresh Fig Prosciutto Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Burrata Bruschetta Crostini with Tomato Chutney
Storing Leftovers
If you have leftovers, lucky you!
This pasta can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. It can be enjoyed as a chilled or room temperature pasta salad or you can reheat it in the microwave or over the stove (with a splash of vegetable or chicken stock).
Be sure to store the leftover halloumi cheese separately and reheat in an air fryer or oven so the exterior becomes crispy again.
Health Benefits
This homemade Rocket Pesto tossed in Halloumi Pasta is packed full of healthy ingredients!
Olive Oil is ranked as one of the healthiest fats and is a staple in the Mediterranean diet. It contains vitamins E and K and plenty of beneficial fatty acids and antioxidants.
It is only recently that scientists have begun to identify the components responsible for garlic’s myriad health benefits. Rich in phytochemicals and potassium, garlic helps boost your immune system, fight cancer and protect your heart.
Chili has been proven to help reduce the duration of sickness, prevent heart disease, and promote weight loss.
Beans are rich in cancer-fighting vitamin C, energy-boosting B vitamins, and gut-healthy fibre.
A rich source of phytochemicals and vitamin C, lemons help boost your immune system and neutralize free radicals that cause disease and skin aging. Lemons also protect against heart disease and help improve blood flow to the brain.
Consuming dairy products (such as milk and cheese) provides health benefits — especially improved bone health. Dairy foods provide nutrients that are vital for health and maintenance of your body. These nutrients include calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and protein.
Containing more protein, fibre, vitamin E and calcium that other nuts, pine nuts may reduce the risk of heart disease, keep your bones healthy, and help your body absorb essential nutrients.
Rocket is one of the most widely consumed vegetables worldwide, but its nutritional value has been underestimated. Lettuce is low in calories, fat and sodium. It is a good source of fibre, iron, folate, and vitamin C. Lettuce is also a good source of various other health-beneficial bioactive compounds.
An excellent source of vitamin K, as well as vitamin C, folate, and iron, parsley helps keep your bones and blood healthy, and protects your skin from damage by free radicals.
You May Also Enjoy These Pasta Recipes…
- Roasted Tomato and Pepper Sauce For Pasta
- Creamy Mediterranean Chicken Feta Pasta
- Traditional Catalan Cannelloni Pasta
- Spicy Garlic Prawn and Chilli Linguine Pasta
- Chilean Tallarines con Palta Vegetarian Avocado Pasta
- Pasta Nerano Spaghetti con Zucchine
- Cheesy Egyptian Macarona Bechamel
- Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Pasta Shells
- Jamaican Jerk Shrimp Rasta Pasta
- Ciceri e Tria Vegan Pugliese Pasta with Chickpeas
How To Make Vegetarian Rocket Pesto Halloumi Pasta
Rocket Pesto Halloumi Pasta
Equipment
- French knife
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Skillet
- Large pot
- Wooden spoon or spatula
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp Olive Oil
- 6 Garlic Cloves thinly sliced
- 1 Serrano Chile halved lengthwise, seeds removed
- 19 oz Canned Cannellini Beans drained and rinsed
- 9 oz Dried Pasta like Penne, Rigatoni or Fusilli
- 3 cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock
- 1/4 cup Lemon Juice
- 7 oz Halloumi Cheese cut into cubes
- Salt and Pepper
Arugula Pesto
- 1/3 cup Pine Nuts
- 2 Garlic Cloves chopped
- 3 cups Arugula chopped
- 1 cup Parsley chopped
- 6 tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
- Put the oil into a large saute pan, for which you have a lid, and place on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the garlic and chile and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the garlic is golden. Add the beans, pasta, stock and 1.5 tsp salt and plenty of pepper and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat down to medium, cover with a lid, and cook for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it sit, lid off, for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the pesto by first putting the pine nuts, garlic, arugula, parsley, 3 tbsp of oil and 1/4 tsp salt, and a good grind of pepper into a food processor. Pulse a few times, scraping down the bowl until you have a coarse paste. Stir in the remaining 3 tbsp of oil.
- Meanwhile, pan fry halloumi chunks over a high heat until golden brown and crispy on each side.
- When ready, stir the lemon juice and the pesto into the pasta, toss then transfer to a large shallow bowl.
- Garnish with crispy halloumi cheese and serve hot.
Nutrition
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love halloumi!