If you find the thought of making homemade pasta daunting, gnocchi is a good stepping stone. You could use store bought gnocchi, though, if you don’t feel up to it. Either way, the combination of golden gnocchi nuggets with creamy mozzarella, sweet garden peas and basil oil is a breath of summer air. This makes a superb starter or a light supper.  

Just like any other pesto, this one can be used in pasta, served with meat or fish or slathered onto freshly baked bread. This recipe makes a fairly generous amount, but if you’re going to the trouble of making some you might as well make a big batch.  I specify 200g of wild garlic leaves, which is roughly a basket full. When you’re preparing the leaves, give them a good wash and drain as you would salad leaves and then remove any long stems.