Green Pea Pasta Salad with a Basil, Parsley & Caper Dressing

This pasta salad is bursting with goodness. I tried to reduce the fat in the dressing as I wanted it to be quite thick without having to use a load of olive oil so I thickened it with butter beans and it gets its beautifully bright greenness from handfuls of spinach, basil and parsley.

I kept the ingredients quite simple but if you wanted to add sweetcorn or blanched asparagus into the salad they would do wonderfully also.

I like my dressing quite zingy, especially in pasta salads, so this one is screaming lemony tangy acidity but its all beautifully balanced with sweetness from toffee like brown sugar and saltiness from the capers.

This would go fabulously as a salad at a BBQ especially along side my strawberry and tomato salad and the chargrilled cantaloupe melon salad.

15 MINUTES. SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

480g fusilli pasta

1 white onion, finely diced

1 cloves garlic, minced

200g frozen peas

large handful of spinach

1 tin butter beans, drained and rinsed

juice 1 lemon

2 tbs red wine vinegar

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tbs capers

1 tbs brown sugar

1 clove garlic

3 tbs olive oil

handful basil leaves, stems and all

handful parsley leaves, stems and all

handful spinach leaves

water to loosen

S&P

METHOD

1. Firstly bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add the fusilli and cook for 1 minute less than packet instructions.

2. In a frying pan on medium heat add a good glug of olive oil, the diced onion and minced garlic. Pan fry for 7 to 8 minutes until nice and translucent. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. In a high speed blender add all of the ingredients for the dressing, except for the extra water. Blend until silky smooth. Season heavily with salt and pepper and blitz again. Add more water if need and give one final blitz.

4. Add the frozen peas to the pasta water for the last minute of cooking. Remove from heat, drain and immediately run under cold water to cool.

5. Once cold add the pasta and peas to a large mixing bowl. Add the warm panfried onions and garlic, half of the dressing and a handful of spinach. Give everything a good mix. Add more dressing if you like it extra saucy.

6. Pour the salad into your serving bowl and sprinkle on some hemp, pumpkin seeds, sun flower seeds or pine nuts if you have them.