Pea and mint tagliatelle

Ingredients – serves 4

• 600g peas (fresh or frozen)
• 400g tagliatelle (but any pasta would work)
• 15 fresh mint leaves, plus extra to garnish
• 150g cream cheese
• juice of 1 lemon, plus slices to garnish
• parmesan cheese, grated, to garnish
• salt and pepper

Method

1. If you are using fresh peas, you will have to cook them a little longer than if you are using frozen. For fresh, add the peas to boiling water in a saucepan and cook for 2 – 3 minutes until done. With frozen peas you can put them in a saucepan and pour boiling water ober them and let them soak for 5 minutes. No need to boil.
2. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil . Add the tagliatelle and cook til tender (follow the instructions on the packet), then drain.
3. Drain the peas, return them to the saucepan and at the mint leaves, cheese, 200ml cold water, a generous pinch of salt and pepper, and half the lemonjuice. Use a handheld blender or liquidiser to blitz the sauce until smooth.
4. Put another large pan on a low heat and tip in the blended pea and mint mixture. When it begins to bubble, turn off the heat and start to add the cooked tagliatelle.
5. Mix the pasta through thet sauce and taste it, adding more salt or lemon juice as needed.
6. Plate up the pasta and serve with a dusting of parmesan on top, lemon slices to the side and a mint leaf in the middle.

Recipe and image courtesy of Mitch Lane – ‘Feed your family for a fiver’