Pieday Friday – Minted pea pasta with chargrilled chicken

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We’re all hoping for a sunny bank holiday weekend right? And what better way to spend the long lazy weekend than with a spot of al fresco dining, eh? I’ve got the ideal recipe for you to try out this weekend; it’s really fast, super-easy and uses just a handful of ingredients that you’ve probably already got at home. Whether you fresh fancy a change from your usual heavy Saturday night takeaway or you’ve got the family round for a light Sunday lunch, this recipe is a great healthy choice for any meal. With fresh vegetables, light protein in the form of skinless chicken breast and low-fat wholewheat dried pasta, this recipe will quickly become your ‘go-to’ dish for weekday dinners. Let’s face it, you’ll probably always have a stock of these ingredients in your cupboard and freezer so can fall back on it time and again. I find it so reassuring to have a quick and healthy dinner available, even when I haven’t had time to get to the supermarket. I’ve always got a bag of Field Fresh peas in my freezer, using a handful here and there to accompany a fish dish or to pop into a shepherd’s pie, so I know that this sauce is only a few minutes away from being stirred through my favourite pasta after a long day at work. It’s also a great dish for impressing friends during al fresco ‘supper club’ meals. The dish looks like you’ve spent hours preparing it and tastes delicious. It’s light enough to serve in smaller portions as a starter, or you could use the pea puree to drizzle over a fresh salad with parma ham, so keep it in mind for special occasions too. Here’s how to make it yourself…

Ingredients (Serves 4): 400g Birds Eye Field Fresh Garden Peas, 500ml hot vegetable stock, 1 large white onion, a large bunch of fresh mint or two tablespoons of mint sauce, 200ml fresh cream (optional), salt and pepper to taste, 300g dried wholewheat spaghetti or tagliatelle pasta, 4 Birds Eye Original Chicken Chargrills to serve.

Method:

1. Finely dice the onion and lightly sauté with a teaspoon of olive oil (or a spray of Fry Light for an even healthier option!) over a medium heat until softened.
2. Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the dried pasta for the length time recommended on the pack and oven cook the 4 Birds Eye Original Chicken Chargrills for the length of time recommended on the pack.
3. Pour the hot vegetable stock onto the sautéed onions and add the frozen peas. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Finely chop the mint leaves and stir into the peas, then remove the pan from the heat.
5. Use a blender to puree the peas and onions into a smooth sauce. Add the cream (if using) and blend again to combine.
6. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Drain the pasta and combine with the pea puree sauce before loading into 4 bowls.
8. Slice the 100% chicken breast grills and add on top of the pasta, with a few sprigs of mint to garnish.

Enjoy al fresco while the sun is shining! For another variation of this dish, you could leave out the mint leaves and stir the plain pea puree through pasta before sprinkling with crispy cured bacon or adding chunks of smoked gammon. Or keep it vegetarian by adding tender stems of asparagus and some shavings of parmesan.I collaborated with Birds Eye to create this delicious fresh recipe so I really hope you enjoy it! Let me know if you have a go at making this recipe over the bank holiday weekend and share your ideas for using the pea puree in other ways by leaving me a comment below or tweeting me @Cassiefairy.

This article is a sponsored collaboration. The pink links in the content indicate a sponsored link or information source. The blog post reflects my own experience and the sponsor hasn’t had any control over my content 🙂