Asparagus Penne with Pistachio Gremolata

500g short pasta, such as penne

1 tbs olive oil

40g unsalted butter

3/4 cup spring onions, washed, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 bunches asparagus, washed, woody stalks trimmed, and sliced into 3cm lengths

spice mix containing - 1/2 tsp sweet paprika, pinch cayenne pepper, pinch chilli flakes

juice of 1 medium lemon

1 cup feta cheese, cubed and crumbled

1/2 cup fresh tarragon, washed and roughly chopped

1/2 cup parsley leaves, washed and roughly chopped

for the pistachio gremolata

1/2 cup shelled pistachio nuts, pulse them briefly in a food processor.

1 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped, use 2 cloves if you are a garlic lover

kosher salt

zest of 1 lemon, this works best if your use a microplane for fine zest rather than the stringy zest that a zester creates.

1/2 cup olive oil

Method for the pistachio gremolata

Warm the pistachios in a frying pan by cooking them over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes.

Add 1/2 tsp salt and garlic to a mortar and pestle and grind to a paste.

Add the pistachio and grind with the garlic into small pieces.

Stir in the lemon zest and oil. Mix to combine and taste and adjust the seasoning.

Meanwhile, cook the paste according to packet instructions and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water at the end of the cooking to use in the sauce. Cook the pasta in water as salty as the sea.

Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, add the oil and butter over a medium heat.

Add the spring onion and asparagus, spice mix and a few pinches of kosher salt. Stir to combine.

Saute for 4-6 minutes, stirring regularly, ideally the asparagus should be crisp and a little bit tender.

Add lemon juice.

Taste and season as required.

Drain the pasta, remembering to reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

Add the pasta to the asparagus mixture and stir to combine.

Add half of the pistachio oil and stir to coat the pasta.

Add a few tbs of the pasta water to thin the sauce.

Remove from the heat and add feta, tarragon and parsley.

Try this with low salt mozzarella instead of the feta and avoid adding salt during the cooking process for a low salt version.

Try this with whipped feta in the place of crumbled feta. To make whipped feta, place 200g feta cheese, 1 clove of garlic and 1/4 cup olive oil in the food processor and process until smooth and ‘whipped’.