This summery fusilli dish from Paul Ainsworth is served with a homemade pesto rosso recipe. If you're short on time, you can buy confit garlic in jars from delis and blitz into the purée needed for the recipe.
Make the confit garlic in advance as it takes a good few hours to cook. Place the peeled cloves and thyme in a small ovenproof dish and top with oil so the cloves are fully submerged. Slow cook in the oven at 80°C for 4–6 hours, or until very soft
Drain the garlic, pass the oil through a sieve and bottle the garlic oil – it can be kept for up to 6 weeks. Blend the garlic to a purée and measure out 50g for the pesto and 120g to stir through the pasta. You can store any remaining purée in the fridge for other dishes
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To make the pesto, place the pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic purée in a pestle and mortar or blender and grind to a paste. Add the oil to loosen and season with the lemon juice and salt. Measure out 200g of pesto for the pasta, reserving any extra in the fridge
Cook the fusilli in salted boiling water for 8–10 minutes or until al dente
260g of fusilli pasta
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In a heavy-based pan, heat the olive oil on a medium heat. When hot, add the spring onions and roquito peppers and cook for 2 minutes. Add the butter, 120g garlic purée and vegetable stock
Southampton-born Paul Ainsworth got his break courtesy of Gary Rhodes, whom he worked for three years. After that, he moved to Gordon Ramsay's organisation, working first at his flagship Royal Hospital Road restaurant and then with Marcus Wareing at Petrus.
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