Serves 4
Preparation time 5 minutes
Cooking time 15–20 minutes
250 g (8 oz) ripe tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, peeled
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon good-quality aged balsamic vinegar
300 g (10 oz) shelled broad beans, fresh or frozen
300 g (10 oz) dried farfalle
200 g (7 oz) goats’ cheese, crumbled
20 basil leaves, torn
salt and black pepper
Put the tomatoes and garlic in a food processor and process until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Tip into a large bowl and stir in the oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook the broad beans in a saucepan of boiling water until tender: 6–8 minutes for fresh broad beans or 2 minutes if you are using frozen ones. Drain, refresh in cold water and drain again. Peel off the skins. Stir the beans into the tomato mixture and leave them to marinate while you cook the pasta.
Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water according to the packet instructions until al dente. Drain, refresh in cold water and then drain again. Stir the pasta into the tomato and broad bean mixture. Add the goats’ cheese and basil, then toss gently. Adjust the seasoning. Leave to stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.
For fresh soya bean & pecorino farfalle salad, prepare the tomato and garlic mixture as above but replace the broad beans with 250 g (8 oz) frozen fresh soya beans, cooked for 3 minutes. Replace the goats’ cheese with 60 g (2¼ oz) shaved pecorino and use 3 tablespoons finely chopped mint or flat leaf parsley instead of the basil.