“I love a pasta salad and this is a really tasty one,” says chef Gino D’Acampo, who has teamed up with Love Food Hate Waste for this year’s Food Waste Action Week.

“I must admit, it came about just before we were off to Sardinia for the summer; the night before, I threw everything we had left over in the fridge or kitchen cupboards into it (which explains the apple and onions) and the outcome was delicious.

“That’s what I love about pasta salads: anything goes and you can be as creative as you like. This is perfect for lunch on the go, it’s filling and so versatile.”

Insalata semplice di pasta con pollo, prosciutto e pesto rosso

Ingredients:(Serves 4-6)

400g dried fusilli pasta150g broccoli florets100g green beans, trimmed and halved5tbsp good-quality mayonnaise3tbsp good-quality shop-bought red pesto1 large red onion, peeled and finely sliced1 large red apple, cored, cut into 1cm chunks8 basil leaves, torn in half150g cold chicken breast, cut into 1cm chunks150g thick slice of ham, cut into 1cm chunks5 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced4tbsp extra virgin olive oilSalt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Fill a medium saucepan with water, add one tablespoon of salt and bring to the boil over a high heat. Add the pasta and cook for two minutes less than instructed on the packet, giving you a very al dente bite, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, drain in a large colander and rinse under cold water to stop it cooking. Leave to drain in the sink while you prepare the vegetables.

2. Fill the same saucepan with water and one tablespoon of salt and again bring to the boil over a high heat. Add the broccoli and boil for one minute. Add the beans and boil for a further two minutes. Meanwhile, pour the drained pasta into a large bowl.

3. Remove the broccoli and beans from the heat and drain in the same colander you used to drain the pasta. Rinse under cold water and leave to drain in the sink.

4. Place the mayonnaise, pesto, red onion, apple, basil, chicken, ham and half a teaspoon of pepper into the bowl with the pasta. Sprinkle in one teaspoon of salt and mix well with a wooden spoon. Stir in the cooled broccoli and beans.

5. Place the pasta salad on a large serving platter. Sprinkle over the spring onions and drizzle over the extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately, or place in the fridge until needed. Please remember always to serve this at room temperature, to appreciate the flavours of each ingredient.

Gino’s Italy: Like Mamma Used To Make by Gino D’Acampo is published by Bloomsbury Publishing, priced £25. Photography by Haarala Hamilton. Available now.