Ingredients
320g fusili pasta
2 ripe peaches, stoned and sliced into wedges
250g cottage cheese
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 garlic clove, finely grated
25g parmesan, finely grated
2 courgettes, shaved into ribbons
15g basil leaves, torn
10g mint leaves, torn
40g pistachios, roughly chopped
60g runny honey
½ tsp chilli flakes
¼ tsp smoked paprika
Pinch of sea salt
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper
Method
Cook the fusili in well-salted water until al dente. Drain, rinse briefly under cold water and toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.
Heat a griddle pan or frying pan over a high heat. Char the peaches on both sides until marked and lightly caramelised. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Peel the courgettes into ribbons and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Set aside to soften for a few minutes.
In a large bowl or serving platter, mix together the cottage cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, grated garlic, parmesan, a generous pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper. Fold through the pasta, courgette ribbons, basil and mint until everything is evenly coated.
Warm the honey gently in a small saucepan with the chilli flakes, smoked paprika and a pinch of sea salt for 1–2 minutes until fragrant and runny. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse.
Arrange the charred peaches over the top of the pasta salad. Drizzle generously with the hot honey and scatter over the pistachios and extra basil and mint leaves to serve.
