• 300g pasta shapes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 24 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 15g pine nuts, lightly toasted
• 8-12 slices Parma Ham
• Basil leaves, to garnish

Pesto sauce:

• 25g pine nuts, lightly toasted
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 50g fresh basil leaves, torn into shreds
• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

First make the pesto sauce. Put the pine nuts, garlic, basil leaves and 2 tbsp olive oil into a mortar and pound with a pestle to form a rough paste. Add the Parmesan cheese and pour in the remaining olive oil, stirring to combine.
Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling, lightly salted water for about 10-12 minutes until just tender, or cook according to pack instructions.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and gently fry the cherry tomatoes until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes.  Stir in the pine nuts.
Drain the pasta, return it to the saucepan and stir in the pesto sauce. Share it between 4 warmed plates and top each portion with 2 to 3 slices of Parma Ham. Serve, garnished with fresh basil leaves.

Cook’s tip: For a short cut, make the pesto sauce in a food processor. Use at once or store in the refrigerator in a screw-topped jar for up to 2 weeks. For a change, make the pesto with toasted almonds instead of pine nuts