Penne was invented in 1865 by Giovanni Battista Capurro a pasta maker from Genoa who obtained a patent for a diagonal cutting machine which cuts fresh pasta into a pen-like shape. There are two types of penne, lisce (smooth) and rigate (furrowed), the latter is great for holding sauce.     

Manchego PDO is a firm Spanish cheese from the La Mancha region. It is made from whole milk from Manchega ewes and is ripened in natural caves. The sheep graze on what is left of the crops after harvesting including the stubble of high-protein leguminous crops, vetch and chickpeas but mostly lentils and the young shoots of vines.

There are several stages of ageing manchego; fresco, semi-curado, curado and viejo my favourite which has a firm texture and the flavour is complex and deep with a nutty flavour, sharp kick and a peppery edge. Wedges of manchego and marinated olives are often served together in tapas bars in Spain.

To the south of La Mancha in Andalusia round, plump Spanish Queen olives known as ‘Gordal’ (the fat one) are grown in groves surrounding Seville. It is believed artichokes were first cultivated in Andalusia but nowadays are mostly grown in the province of Murcia to the east.

I have brought back from a recent trip to Andalusia, olives and manchego and have made a pesto by adding pistachios, garlic and unripe green peppercorns and folded it through penne rigate with some marinated artichoke hearts. Serve hot or cold as is or with roast chicken. #GlobalApron