STRAWBERRY & PESTO PASTA SALAD

If, like Emma, you’re going strawberry-picking and have a picnic to attend the next day, this recipe is a winner

300g dry pasta

1 broccoli, head and stalk

2 carrots, tops removed and peeled

250g fresh strawberries, hulled

1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained

1 handful fresh basil leaves

Pesto and avocado dressing:

75g homemade* or shop-bought pesto 1 ripe avocado 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Juice of half a lemon

To serve:

Shavings of pecorino or parmesan Toasted pine nuts Extra virgin olive oil

1 Cook the pasta until al dente. 2 Meanwhile, cut the broccoli into small florets, trim and roughly chop stalks and place in a sieve over the pasta water during the last few minutes of cooking. Drain pasta and broccoli and set aside.

3 Place all the dressing ingredients in a bowl, season and mash until combined.

4 Thinly slice the carrots, quarter the strawberries and halve the tomatoes. Transfer the pasta and broccoli to a large serving bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and dressing and gently toss to coat. Add a dash of water if you need to loosen the dressing.

5 Serve topped with pecorino, a sprinkling of pine nuts, seasoning and a drizzle of oil.

Recipe from Green Kitchen at Home by David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl (Hardie Grant). Photography: David Frenkiel