SPINACH AND WALNUT PESTO WITH PASTA

Pesto is a classic Italian sauce for pasta and, of course, it’s all about basil and pine nuts. But this is something a little different, pesto with a twist: a glorious green sauce with terrific flavour. 40g walnuts 2 cloves garlic 1 tsp salt 70g fresh spinach, washed & dried 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 80g Parmesan black pepper 1 tbsp lemon juice 320 g pasta of your choice

SERVES 4 Put a large pot of water on to boil, adding 3 teaspoons of salt. Put a frying pan on a medium heat. Break the walnuts into pieces and toast them on the dry frying pan for 3-4 minutes or until they start to colour. Watch them carefully so that they don’t burn. When the nuts are browned take them out of the pan and let them cool. Peel and chop the garlic. Finely grate the cheese. Put the cooled nuts, garlic, salt, the spinach and 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a mini-chopper or food processor and blend to a smooth paste. Stir in the grated cheese, lemon juice and 2 more tablespoons of olive oil. Taste and season. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente (it still has some ‘bite’). Scoop out a cup of the pasta’s cooking water and put aside. Drain the pasta and return it to the warm pot, adding 4-5 tablespoons of the pesto. Stir well to mix it through. If the pesto isn’t coating the pasta evenly, add the reserved cooking water a tablespoon at a time and mixing again until it looks right. Serve in warm bowls with freshly grated Parmesan. If you have pesto left over, pack it into a clean jar and smooth the surface. Cover with a little olive oil and seal. It will keep for a week in the fridge but the flavours will lose some of their freshness.