Need some rocket fuel? Try Rachel Allen's tart, bruschetta, salad and pesto recipes

Rocket pesto is a divine alternative to basil and its slight bitterness works especially well with sweet buttery cashews, see the recipe below. Use as a sauce for pasta or as a delicious condiment to drizzle over pizza just as it comes out of the oven. I love how the southern Italians chop lots of rocket leaves before tossing them through just-drained pasta, a hot tomato sauce and lots of grated pecorino cheese. Chopped rocket will give a plain and simple mayonnaise a pep in its step, making it just perfect for livening up sandwiches.

I love the combination of peppery rocket with sweet honey and this bruschetta, below, which also has goat’s cheese, works equally well with a ripe blue or a salty feta cheese. Add some slices of pear if you fancy and you have a delicious little starter or light lunch.

And finally, whip up this delicious mushroom, ricotta and rocket tart, below, made with puff pastry and whatever yummy mushrooms you can get your hands on — I love to use some that have a deep earthy flavour, such as chestnut mushrooms, lots of garlic and a nice handful of rocket leaves scattered over the top.

Mushroom, ricotta and rocket tart

Serves 4-6

You will need:

• 325g puff pastry
• 400g mushrooms
• 2 large cloves of garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 250g ricotta
• 1 large clove of garlic, crushed or finely grated
• 2 large handfuls of rocket leaves

1 Roll the puff pastry with a dusting of flour into a rectangle approximately 25x35cm in size. The pastry should be just about 4-5mm thick. Use a sharp knife to trim the edges to get straight lines (see Tip for using the scraps).

​2 Dust off any excess flour, then flip the pastry over (this helps it to rise better at the edges) and place on a baking tray. Dust off any excess flour again, then use a small sharp knife to score the pastry (just going about halfway down through the pastry) all around, approximately 1.5cm in from the edge, like the frame on a picture. Now lightly score the pastry inside the frame using a skewer or a fork; this will help to keep the base of the tart flat.

​3 Place the pastry on the tray in the fridge to chill while you prepare the topping.

​4 Preheat the oven to 230C (210 fan), 450F, Gas 8.

5 Slice the mushrooms into slices, 4-5mm thick, and place a frying pan on a high heat to get nice and hot. Slice the 2 large cloves of garlic and set aside.

​6 When the pan is hot, add in the olive oil and then the sliced mushrooms. Saute until light golden, tossing the mushrooms in the pan regularly, then add in the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook for another minute or so until the garlic is cooked and the mushrooms are golden, then take off the heat and tip the mixture onto a plate to cool.

​7 Meanwhile, place the ricotta in a bowl and mix in the 1 clove of crushed or finely grated garlic and season with some salt and pepper.

​8 Take the pastry out of the fridge and spread the ricotta on the base inside the ‘frame’. Scatter the sauteed mushrooms and garlic on top of the ricotta, then place in the preheated oven and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until golden around the edges and on the base of the pastry (lift it up at the edge to check).

​9 When the tart is baked, take it out of the oven and transfer it to a serving plate or board (see Rachel Recommends). Place the rocket leaves on top and cut into slices to serve.

Top Tip

Rachel Recommends I like to bake the puff pastry tart in an upturned baking tray so that when it’s baked, it’s really easy to slide off on to a serving board or plate!

Rocket, goat’s cheese and honey bruschetta

Makes 4

You will need:

• 4 slices of sourdough or white yeast bread
• 1 clove of garlic, cut in half
• 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 handfuls of rocket leaves
• 200g goat’s cheese
• 4 teaspoons honey

​1 Place the slices of bread under a hot grill or on a hot grill-pan for 2-3 minutes on each side until toasted and browned.

​2 Cut a clove of garlic in half, then rub one side of the toasts with the cut side of the garlic and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil.

​3 Cut the goat’s cheese into 4 slices and place on the bread to almost cover it, followed by the rocket leaves and a lovely drizzle of honey. Season with flakes of sea salt and cracked black pepper, and serve.

Simple rocket, pear and blue cheese salad

Serves 4 as a starter

You will need:

• 4 handfuls of rocket leaves
• 50ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large and ripe pear
• 200g ripe blue cheese, broken up into chunks

​1 Divide the rocket leaves between 4 plates, or place on 1 large plate.

​2 Mix the extra virgin olive oil and the balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper to taste.

​3 Slice the pear through the skin (I prefer not to peel it) into halves, then quarters, lengthways. Cut out the core in the centre of each quarter, then slice into long wedges and arrange over the rocket.

​4 Scatter the blue cheese chunks on top of the rocket and pears, then drizzle some dressing over the top of the salad. Toss gently and serve.

Rocket and cashew pesto

Makes 1 jar

You will need:

• 50g rocket, roughly chopped
• 25g cashew nuts
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed or finely grated
• 75ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for the top
• 25g freshly grated parmesan cheese

​1 Chop the rocket leaves until just coarsely chopped, then place in the food processor with the cashew nuts, the crushed or finely grated garlic and a little of the olive oil.

​2 Blend until you have a pesto-like consistency, then add the remaining olive oil and the grated cheese.

​3 Season to taste with some salt, then pour into a jar and cover with some extra olive oil — this will keep the air out of the pesto, preventing it going off. Cover with a lid and place in the fridge where it will keep for a few months while still covered.

​4 When you want to use some of the pesto, pour the little bit of olive oil into a small bowl, then take out as much pesto as you want. Use a piece of kitchen paper to wipe clean the sides of the jar inside, then pour the olive oil from the small bowl back on top of the pesto to cover it again and place back in the fridge again.