Saffron and Piquillo pepper Pesto Quiche with Walnut Pastry

Prep: 120 minutes
Cook: 44 minutes

Serves 6 people

The Saffron and Piquillo Pepper Pesto is the key ingredient for making this so much more than just another quiche. The intense Spanish flavours mellow out once mixed with eggs and cream and give the quiche a deep burnished colour on top. The walnut in the pastry produces a very short crumb which is perfect for the filling, but to save on time, you could use ready made shortcrust pastry instead.

Ingredients

To make the pastry:
60g walnuts
120g unsalted butter
180g plain flour
1/4tsp salt
2 tbsp cold water
To make the filling:
1 jar of grilled peppers (460g with a drained weight of 360g)
250g double cream
3 whole medium eggs
2 medium egg yolks
1 jar of Saffron and Piquillo Pepper Pesto
1 small bunch flat leaf parsley
2 pinches salt

Method

Step 0: Begin by making the pastry. Dice the butter and return to the fridge or freezer if possible. Use a food processor to blitz the walnuts to a fine powder. Add the flour, cold butter and salt then blitz by pulsing until the you have something that resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stop if it is beginning to clump.
Step 1: Drizzle the cold water over the top, then use a knife or spatula to cut into the pastry to mix the water in. Turn out onto your worksurface so that you can push and clump the pastry together to form a ball of dough, then wrap in clingfilm and chill for at least 45 minutes.
Step 2: Dust your worktop and rolling pin with flour then roll the pastry out into a circle, pushing backwards and forwards over the dough then turning and repeating till large enough to fill the tin. Add more flour to stop the pastry sticking as necessary. Pick the pastry up by folding it over the rolling pin then lay into the tin. Use your fingers to push it into the base, corners and flutes, then trim the excess from the edge with a pair of scissors. Keep the excess to patch up any cracks.
Step 3: Place in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
Step 4: Heat an oven to 180C fan / 200C nonfan, with a baking tray inside big enough to sit the tin on if possible (this helps cook the base faster and more evenly).
Step 5: Take the tart case from the fridge, prick the pastry with a fork then cover with a piece of foil big enough to cover the bottom and sides. Cover with a 1-2cm baking beans/rice/pulses then place in the oven.
Step 6: Bake for 40 minutes, remove from the oven and carefully take out the foil/paper with the baking beans. Patch up any cracks with the excess pastry, then bake for another 10 minutes.
Step 7: Drain the peppers thoroughly, dry with kitchen paper then slice into strips. Finely chop the parsley and set aside.
Step 8: In a bowl or jug, mix the cream, eggs and egg yolks, Saffron and Piquillo Pepper Pesto, salt, parsley and whisk till frothy. Arrange the peppers in the base of the tart, then place the tart on the oven tray, then pour the mix into the case.
Step 9: Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until set into the middle. Remove and allow to cool for at least 15 mins before serving.

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