Recipe writer Kathryn has been making this pesto since her children were little and they turn away from shop-bought varieties having got used to the taste of something fresher. Think of this as more than a pasta sauce – it can be served with sliced vegetables as a snack or used in sandwiches and wraps. Adding spiralised courgettes to pasta is a fun way to introduce some extra veg. In the absence of a spiraliser, you could finely chop or grate the courgette instead.

Prep time 15 minutes | Cook time 8–10 minutes | Serves 2

Ingredients
80g wholegrain spaghetti
1 small courgette, spiralised
100g feta, crumbled

For the pea and basil pesto
4 sprigs of basil, leaves picked
20g Parmesan, roughly chopped
20g cashew nuts or blanched almonds
70g frozen peas, defrosted
2 tbsp olive oil

Method
1. To make the pesto, place all the ingredients in a jug or deep bowl with 1 tablespoon of water and use a stick blender to blitz until smooth. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Add the courgette for the last minute of cooking. Drain and reserve 2 tablespoons of the cooking water. 
3. Toss the pasta with the pesto, adding some of the cooking water to loosen, if necessary.
4. Top with the feta and serve straight away.