In this mouthwatering and healthy dish, asparagus and omega-3 rich salmon poach without any effort on your part while the pasta cooks.

7 oz (200g) farfalle pasta (bow tie shaped)

2 uncooked salmon fillets (about 6 oz each)—cut into bite-sized pieces

8 fresh asparagus spears—ends trimmed and halved

1 red pepper (capsicum)—julienned

¾ cup Sun-dried tomato and walnut pesto

PREPARE the pesto. COOK the pasta (see How to cook pasta) and add the asparagus and red pepper to the pot for the final 8 minutes of cooking. ADD the salmon to the pot for the final 3 minutes of cooking. DRAIN the cooked pasta, salmon and vegetables into a colander. PUT the pesto in the bottom of the pot and top with the hot pasta, salmon and vegetables. TOSS together gently to combine well and heat through.

Variations: Bite-sized pieces of uncooked skinless chicken breast fillets also taste great with this pesto—simply allow an extra couple of minutes poaching time (chicken will take around 8 minutes to cook depending on the size of the pieces). Or, use large peeled uncooked shrimp (prawns) which will take about 4 minutes to poach.

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