Fusilli with asparagus, peas and wild garlic pesto

Ingredients

250g dried Fusilli pasta
125g of frozen petit pois
125g asparagus spears, cut into thirds
3 tbsp double cream
40g finely grated parmesan

Wild garlic pesto - make your own or save time with this fantastic pre-made wild garlic pesto

150ml olive oil
1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced
4 garlic cloves (fat ones if using spinach), crushed
200g wild garlic leaves
20g fresh chives, snipped
100g pine nuts
100g finely grated parmesan or vegetarian alternative
1 tsp caster sugar

Directions

STEP 1

Start with the pesto by heating 3 tbsp of olive oil in a small frying pan. Add spring onion and 1/2 of the crushed garlic, cooking gently for a couple of minutes until softened. Transfer to a food processor and leave to cool. Meanwhile, slice the wild garlic leaves into thin strips. Add them to the food processor with the remaining crushed garlic, the snipped chives, pine nuts and the rest of the olive oil, then blend to a paste. Spoon into a bowl, then stir in the parmesan, sugar and some salt to taste.

STEP 2
Bring 2 pans of salted water to the boil. Put the Fusilli into one pan and cook for until al dente. Meanwhile, drop the peas and asparagus into the other pan and cook for 2-3 minutes or until just tender. Drain both pans, reserving a mugful of the pasta water.

STEP 3
Return the pasta to a hot pan with 6 tbsp of the pesto, 4 tbsp of the reserved cooking water and the double cream. Toss together until all the pasta is coated in the creamy pesto. Add the peas, asparagus, 25g of the grated parmesan and a little more seasoning to taste, then toss together once more. Serve straightaway, sprinkled with the remaining parmesan.