Taste the Med of

Friday’s Domestic Diva Silvena Rowe adds some zing to a few Italian staples

Trenette with red pesto, sugar snaps and potato

Prep time: 20 mins Cooking time: 20 mins Serves 4 200g baby potatoes 1 garlic clove pinch of sea salt 25g pine nuts 300g canned semi-dried tomatoes, drained from oil 1 red chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped 1 roasted red pepper handful of fresh basil 125ml extra-virgin olive oil 25g Parmesan, finely grated 200g sugar snaps 450g trenette pasta or linguine, cooked according to instructions on the packet

1 In a medium pan, cover the potatoes with water and bring to a simmer. Cook over moderate heat for about 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and allow to cool slightly. Cut the potatoes in half.

2 Meanwhile, to make the red pesto, blend together the garlic and sea salt in a spice grinder. Add the pine nuts and pulse again until roughly chopped. Add the semi-dried tomatoes, chilli, red pepper and basil and pulse carefully until well mixed but still very textured.

3 Spoon pesto into a bowl and stir through extra-virgin olive oil and Parmesan until you have a juicy paste. Season to taste, as required.

4 In a large pan of salted boiling water, cook the sugar snaps until al dente. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a colander and rinse under cold water.

5 In a large pan, toss together the pasta, cooked potatoes, sugar snaps and red pesto until pasta is well coated. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.