Spring in the air when Gennaro rustles up his soup

1 large potato, peeled and cut into cubes 1 litre vegetable stock 15 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped, plus a few sprigs of mint to serve Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling Salt and freshly ground black pepper For the crostini (optional): A knob of butter, and eight to 12 small slices of bread Method

HEAT olive oil in a saucepan, add shallots, pancetta and celery, and sweat gently for a few minutes. Add peas and stir well, then add lettuce, potato and stock. Stir well and season with salt and pepper (be careful when adding the salt, as pancetta is salty). Cover with a lid and simmer gently for 15 minutes, or until the peas are tender.

REMOVE from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Then pour into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth (in batches if necessary). Return the soup to the pan, add the chopped mint and heat through. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.

MEANWHILE, make the crostini. Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the bread slices and fry until golden brown on each side.

SERVE the soup drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil, garnished with a sprig of mint and accompanied by the crostini. Note: Try to use fresh peas. It might be hard work to shell such a large quantity, but it is well worth it in the end. If necessary you can use frozen peas, or a combination. Gennaro’s Passione, by Gennaro Contaldo, is published by Pavilion Books. RRP $39.99.