3 Pasta Salads to Say Goodbye to Spring

We are officially in June and it's time to say goodbye to all of the amazing spring produce; and a big hello to everything summer has to offer. Like deep red, plump strawberries, fresh peas, scrumptious ice cream flavours and decadent desserts. I for one am very excited about Bbq season, and all of that wonderful evening warmth that means you can eat Al fresco. The smell of charcoal lingering on your clothes and the ants desperately trying to savour the last of you ice cream stick. Summer is wonderful, but I will miss the newness of spring, watching everything burst to life in your garden when the sun shines, the smell of freshly cut grass in the morning, and the way that everything feels so fresh and green.

Lemon, Pea & Pesto

Serves 2Prep time: 5 minsCook time: Around 15 mins

Ingredients

• 150g of pasta
• 2 tbsp green pesto, from a jar or (find my recipe here.)
• Half a cup of frozen petit pois peas
• Juice of half a lemon
• Handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Cook pasta to packet instructions, adding your peas with the last two minutes. Drain.
2. Stir through your pesto and lemon juice, then top with a good handful of Parmesan and season to taste.

Prosciutto, Blistered Garlic Tomatoes and Basil

Serves: 2Prep time: 5 minsCook time: Around 15 mins

Ingredients

• 150g pasta
• 1 large beef tomato (or bunch of on the vine cherry tomatoes)
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 rashers of Prosciutto, torn
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Bunch fresh basil

Directions

1. Cook pasta to packet instructions.
2. Whilst pasta is cooking, add a drizzle of olive oil to a pan, chop your tomato into quarters, then quarter again. Grate your garlic clove. Add both tomatoes and garlic once oil is hot. Cook until blistered, around three minutes. Turn off pan and leave to one side until pasta is ready.
3. Once pasta is cooked, drain and add tomatoes and garlic with oil and stir through torn basil and season to taste.

Creamy Garlic, Parmesan Chicken & Broccoli

Serves: 2Prep time: 5 minsCook time: Around 15 mins

Ingredients

• 150g pasta
• 4 large broccoli florets, cut into quarters
• 20g grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra
• 1 pack mini chicken fillets
• 3 garlic cloves
• Garlic powder
• 125ml single cream
• Salt & pepper

Directions

1. Add chicken to tin foil with a sprinkle of garlic powder and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pop in the oven at 200c for 30 minutes. Coat your garlic in a little olive oil (skin on) and pop them on the side of the baking tray for ten minutes of the chicken time.
2. Remove your garlic and squeeze out the flesh into your cream in a small pan. Leave to infuse until chicken is ready.
3. Cook pasta to packet instructions.
4. With 5 minutes to go of your chicken, bring a pan to the boil and cook your broccoli for three minutes. Drain.
5. Add broccoli to pasta, shred chicken and add, then bring your garlic milk to a steam. Don't let it boil, strain through a sieve into your pasta and then finally stir through your Parmesan. Season to taste.

*All of these will keep for two days in a sealed container in the fridge.