Fusilli with Asparagus & Wild Garlic

1. Fill and boil your kettle. Fill a large pan with the hot water, topping it up if necessary, and add a large pinch of salt. Pop on a lid, set on a high heat and return to the boil.

2. Meanwhile, warm a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the pine nuts and cook for 2-3 mins, tossing frequently, till toasted. Tip them into a food processor. Add the wild garlic. Grate in the zest from both lemons, and squeeze in the juice from 1 (keep the other for later). Pour in 6 tbsp olive oil and add a pinch of salt. Whizz into a smooth sauce, scraping the sides of the processor bowl once or twice. The sauce should be smooth and pourable, so if it's a little thick, trickle in olive oil till you get the right consistency.

3. Snap the woody ends off the asparagus (see our tip below on how to use them up), then chop the spears into bite-sized pieces.

4. The water in the pan should be boiling by now. Tip in the fusilli and simmer for 4 mins, then drop in the trimmed asparagus. Cook for a further 4-5 mins, till both the pasta and asparagus are tender with a slight bite.

5. Drain the pasta and asparagus, reserving a mugful of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pan and pour in half the wild garlic sauce. Toss together over a low heat for 1 min to warm through. Add more of the sauce if you think the pasta isn't coated enough. If the sauce is too thick, trickle in a little pasta water.

6. Taste and add more salt and pepper or lemon juice, if needed. Spoon into bowls, sprinkle with a pinch of dried chilli flakes (if liked) and serve with grated Italian hard cheese for sprinkling.

7. Love Your Leftovers
Any leftover pasta and pesto will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Divide the pasta between tubs, cool and seal, then chill. Reheat in the mcirowave till piping hot all the way through.

8. How To Store Your Sauce You can use all your wild garlic sauce in this dish, or transfer half to a clean jar or tub and pour in enough olive oil to cover the top of the sauce (this helps to stop mould developing). Seal and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Alternatively, spoon the sauce into an ice cube tray and freeze till solid, then transfer to a freezerproof bag. Leftover pesto can be drizzled over soups, added to cooked pasta and rice, or stirred into butter. Frozen pesto can be melted in a pan before you add cooked pasta, or drop the cubes straight into a soup or stew and warm through till melted.