This weekend our little boy turned two. Originally we wanted to have a family barbecue for his party (did I say before that I love bbq?). But Derbyshire weather decided for us that barbecue is not going to be an option. We then went on with plan B. Indoors cold buffet lunch style party. The birthday party was great and the little man had plenty of presents. Amongst many treats we have put a cold fusilli pasta with redo pesto. I really like this dish because for such occasions it is a perfect recipe. When you have about half a dozen hungry adults descending on you and at the same time you need to keep the little ones entertained you do not want to spend hours in the kitchen. This salad is extremely simple to prepare, full of flavour and satisfying. You can prepare in the morning and serve during lunchtime to both adults and children. So if you have guests coming over and you want something quick and tasty to serve this is a great option. This is also an ideal lunchbox recipe.

Serves 4 large or 6 small portions. This recipe has been inspired by the original Gino D’Acampo recipe

Ingredients:

• 350g dried fusilli pasta
• 190g of red pesto
• 50g of prosciutto ham ripped in small pieces
• 120g tinned sweetcorn, drained
• Salt and pepper for seasoning

Method:

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to boil and cook pasta al dente. Usually it is about 1 minute less than manufacturer instruction.
2. Drain the pasta in a colander and immediately rinse under cold water to prevent it from cooking any further. Set aside to drain for about 5 minutes, shaking the colander every minute to help to drain all of the water.
3. Place the cooled pasta in a large bowl and add all other ingredients. Gently mix together. Season to taste. Be careful with salt as prosciutto will lend a lot o saltiness to the dish.
4. Cover with a large plate and leave for about 15 minutes at room temperature for the flavours to combine. Mix gently every 5 minutes.
5. Serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 48 hours.