SUNDRIED TOMATO, OLIVE & FETA FUSILLI

w/ a basil gremolata, feta & toasted almonds

Summer feels like it really landed in London this weekend, there was that frantic air of a people who have been holed up in the dark and cold for 8 months just waiting to see the sun again. It happens every year, at the first sign of sunshine, we forget all our morals, party like we’ve never partied before, spend too long in the sun, drink too much and wake up on Monday questioning all our life choices - or maybe that’s just me?

What also comes with the warmer weather is the season of “assembling” - the best way to cook in the summer, requiring very little actual cooking. For me, the peak of assembling and summer “cooking” is the pasta salad. It is super versatile, tastes even better the day after you’ve made it, is great for sharing and is the speediest of meals. I live for a good pasta salad and find bad ones to be a travesty, giving the whole pasta salad community a bad name. What I am looking for is a brilliant balance of flavour, texture and colour, one that doesn’t take too much effort to make but that is deeply rewarding to eat. This one came together in half an hour and we had all the ingredients in our pantry, making it super cheap and easy. I encourage you to substitute where you see fit, the gremolata can be made with any soft herb, you can switch up the almonds for a different nut, roll with a green olive if that’s your bag - make it your own I say.