We discuss the utter absence of cooking with cactus in our lives (!) and a cookbook which I have loved by Nik Sharma called VEG-TABLE.

To make the recipe, you need

500g Orecchiette (thus named because the tiny scooped pieces look like a baby's ear

285g frozen peas

11/2 tsp cumin seeds and 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar and pestle

4 cloves of garlic, grated

1 tsp red pepper flakes, eg., Aleppo, Maras or Urfa.

2-3tbs white miso paste (I use 3, Nik Sharma says 2)

lots of grated Parmesan or Grana Padano (I use a cup+)

snipped chives from the garden

Boil the pasta in generously salted rolling boiling water a minute or 2 less than the amount of time recommended on the packet. In the last 2 minutes, add the peas to the pot. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Dress the cooked pasta/peas with 1tbs of olive oil. Set aside and then:

Warm 3 tbs good olive oil then add cumin seeds and fennel seeds. Fry for less than 1 minute until releasing their aromas. Add in the garlic and red pepper flakes.

Dissolve the miso paste in 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta water. Add this to the fried spices then add the peas and crush them a little so they're less intact and more prepared to integrate with the sauce.

Use a big slotted spoon to fold the cooked pasta into the spice mixture, adding in about 1/4 cup of cheese. Feel free to add a bit more pasta water to make the final version brothy. Taste. It may need more salt. Serve with more cheese on top and some generous snips of chives.

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