Spaghetti with chicory and pecorino

Serves 4

If you're making the beetroot dish on the next page, this is a good way to use up the outer puntarelle leaves. Alternatively you could use treviso, radicchio, rocket, dandelion or a mixture of leaves from the chicory family for a quick and simple pasta meal.

If you're making the beetroot dish on the next page, this is a good way to use up the outer puntarelle leaves. Alternatively you could use treviso, radicchio, rocket, dandelion or a mixture of leaves from the chicory family for a quick and simple pasta meal.

300-350g dried spaghetti
Half a bulb of fresh new season garlic, trimmed and shredded
80ml olive oil
A couple of handfuls of puntarelle leaves, or other chicory leaves (see above)
80g butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4-5tbsp grated pecorino

Bring a pan of water to the boil and blanch your puntarelle or treviso leaves for 30 seconds then drain. Meanwhile cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water for as long as the packet says, then drain in a colander. As the spaghetti cooks, heat the olive oil in a pan and gently cook the new season garlic with a lid on for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add the blanched puntarelle, season, add the butter and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring every so often. Toss the spaghetti with the puntarelle and add half the pecorino. Mix well, season a little more and serve with some extra pecorino.