- 200g flat beans
- 500g broad beans in the pod
- 250g cherry tomatoes
- 1 red onion
- 35g flaked almonds
- 75g chifferini pasta
- 1 garlic clove
- A handful of basil
- 1 lemon
- Sea salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Freshly ground pepper
- Large pan
- Baking tray
- Small frying pan
- 1.
Preheat your oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 5. Fill a pan with water and add a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil. Meanwhile, trim the woody ends off the flat beans and finely slice them. Pop the broad beans out of their pods.
- 2.
Halve the cherry tomatoes and pop them onto a baking tray. Peel the red onion and slice it into thin wedges. Add the onion to the tomatoes. Drizzle over 1 tbsp olive oil and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Gently toss to coat in the oil and seasoning, then slide into the oven for 15-20 mins, till tender and a little browned at the edges.
- 3.
While the veg roast, warm a small frying pan on a low heat. Add the flaked almonds and toast for 2-3 mins, shaking the pan, till golden. Tip into a bowl and set to one side.
- 4.
The water in the pan should be boiling by now. Add the chifferini pasta and simmer for 5 mins. After 5 mins, add the broad beans and the flat beans. Continue to simmer for 3 mins, till the beans and pasta are tender. When cooked, drain them and rinse with cold water to cool the beans and pasta down.
- 5.
Peel the garlic and grate it into a large bowl. Tear the basil leaves into small pieces and add them to the garlic. Grate in the lemon zest and squeeze in the juice from 1 half. Pour in 1 tbsp olive oil and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk together to make a dressing.
- 6.
Shake the pasta and beans dry and toss them into the bowl with the dressing. Add the roasted tomatoes and onion, along with the toasted almonds. Fold together, divide the salad between a couple of warm plates and serve.
- Tip
Double trouble
When you pop the broad beans out of their pods, they’ll look a little pale. This is because each bean is covered in a thin skin – this is edible, but on larger beans it can be a little bitter. If you’d like to double-pod the beans to take off the skins, plunge the shelled beans into a pan of boiling water for 2 mins, then drain and rinse with cold water. The skins will be loose and wrinkly, so you can pinch the ends pop the green beans out. If using this method, cook the shelled beans before you cook the pasta and flat beans, and double-pod them while the pasta simmers.
