Inspired by the Italian soup, this fresh supper is full of spring flavour. The wholewheat farfalle adds nuttiness, but you can use traditional white pasta, if you prefer.
This verdant pasta is rammed full of veggies and then topped with a homemade pesto. We used farfalle pasta, but you can use any pasta you have in the cupboard!
50 g Parmesan or vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese, grated, plus extra to serve, optional
1 garlic clove, crushed
100 g basil (stalks and leaves), roughly chopped
Small handful mint leaves
3 Tbsp. pine nuts
Finely grated zest and juice 1 lemon
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
For the pasta
300 g wholewheat farfalle pasta, see intro
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
1 courgette, trimmed and roughly chopped
75 g green beans, trimmed and cut into shorter lengths
75 g frozen peas
Directions
Step 1For the pesto, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Roughly chop the broccoli (including the stalk) and cook in the boiling water for 4min, or until just tender. Using a slotted spoon, lift broccoli into the bowl of a food processor (reserve water for pasta).
Step 2Add remaining pesto ingredients and plenty of seasoning to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped and combined, adding a little cold water to loosen, if needed. Set aside.
Step 3For the pasta, bring the broccoli cooking water back up to the boil. Add the pasta and cook according to pack instructions. Drain, reserving 175ml of the cooking water.
Step 4Meanwhile heat the oil in a large, deep, frying pan over medium heat. Cook the spring onions, courgette and beans for 5min, stirring occasionally, or until starting to soften.
Step 5Add the pasta, peas, pesto and reserved cooking water to the frying pan and heat, stirring regularly, until piping hot. Check seasoning.
Step 6Divide between 4 bowls and garnish with extra cheese, if you like. Serve.
GET AHEAD
Make pesto up to a day ahead. Cover and chill. Complete recipe to serve.
The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time
