I adore cooking so much more than baking, I seem to get so much more out of it. I tend to find it allot easier too to be honest. Don’t get me wrong I am Italian and a carnivore, but saying that I have cut down allot on my intake of meat during the week, possibly due to cost. Vegetables are easily transformed into the most delicious of meals and side dishes.

In the South of Italy and through the whole country really, ‘La Cucina Povera’ is everyone’s mantra. It is a way of life, of cooking and eating. Using a combination of store cupboard ingredients and seasonal food from the market and butchers.
If certain food is not in season, then it would not be used, due to cost and taste but because they like to support local farmers and producers too. By cooking and eating simple, seasonal food, the costs are kept low and the quality of food and ingredients are high.

I adore pesto and think that it is so easy to make. From a simple basil pesto to a delicious and pungent wild garlic or roasted pepper pesto. I wanted to try something a little different and as asparagus is coming into season, what could be better,  so my asparagus pesto was born. Not many ingredients and simple to make, very tasty too. Simply run the pesto through some pasta with a fresh grated snow of parmesan.

100g asparagus
50g pine nuts
30g basil
30g parmesan
Extra virgin olive oil
Twist of salt and pepper

1. Lightly fry off the asparagus in a frying pan with a little olive oil.
2. Once cooked, blitz in a food processor.
3. Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan, with no oil for about 2 minutes, they will smell amazing.
4. Now into the food processor add in the basil, parmesan, pine nuts and blitz. A little salt and pepper to season.
5. Add in the olive oil a little at a time until the right consistency is met.
6. Store in an air tight jar in the fridge, it will keep for 7-10 days.

Carmela x