Spelt pasta with broad beans, chorizo and ricotta

Spelt pasta with broad beans, chorizo and ricotta. (Plates, napkins, cutlery and glasses from French Country Collection.) Photo / Babiche Martens

Serves 4

2 cups frozen broad beans
water
1 Tbs olive oil
2 chorizo, finely sliced
finely grated zest of one lemon
2 Tbs currants
2 cloves garlic, crushed
400g spelt spaghetti
2 Tbs flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
200g ricotta cheese
extra virgin olive oil

1 Put the beans into a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook according to the packet instructions. Drain and cool then peel off the skins and discard.

2 Heat a fry pan, add the olive oil and when hot, add the beans, chorizo, lemon zest, currants and garlic. Reduce the heat and stir for approximately 5 minutes or until soft and golden.

3 Boil the spelt spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and add to the pan with the chorizo, lemon, garlic and currants.

4 Mix together then add the parsley, seasoning and spoonfuls of ricotta. Add extra virgin olive oil to taste before serving.

Chef's tip

Whether you use dried or frozen broad beans, once they are cooked make sure you peel off the outer skin which is very tough. Discard any beans that float to the top during the cooking process.