Creamy spinach and pea pasta

Serves :  4  ›  Preparation:  25 mins  ›  Cook:  25 mins
​Ingredients:

• 500gms pasta of your choice
• I bunch spinach, stalks removed, finely shredded
• 200gms frozen peas
• ¼ preserved lemon, skin only, finely chopped
• 1 brown onion finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, finely sliced
• 50gms pancetta or speck very finely sliced into tiny batons
• 1 salted anchovy, washed, fileted and minced
• 50gms butter
• 200mls good crème fraiche (Meander Valley)
• Pasta cooking water

Melt butter in a large flying pan and then add a good glug of EVO.  Saute the spinach over medium to low heat until cooked and most of the liquid has evaporated.  Set aside to cool.  When cool, blitz in a food processor or easier still if you have one, blend with a stick blender until very smooth.
 
Heat water for pasta.  Make sure it is properly salted.
 
While this is coming to the boil, sauté the onion, anchovy, pancetta/speck, garlic and preserved lemon over a medium/low heat until onion is cooked and turning golden, 10-15 minutes.
 
Add the blitzed spinach and stir to combine, moistening with a little white wine to ensure it is well combined.  When fully combined, add the peas and sauté until they are warmed through, then add the crème fraiche and combine thoroughly.  Leave to warm through over a low heat.
 
When the pasta is cooked take a little of the water, about 1/4 cup, and add to the sauce, a little at a time. Stir to combine.  The sauce should now be loose enough to toss through the pasta.  If it’s still too stiff, add a little more pasta water.
 
Drain the pasta and divide between 4 bowls and top with a quarter of the sauce.  Serve with freshly grated parmesan.