Boil your pasta. Fill a large pot with water, bring it to a rolling boil, and add a generous pinch of salt. Drop in your 300g of pasta and cook according to the packet instructions until al dente — you want it to have a slight resistance when you bite into it, not a soft mush. The water will turn cloudy and starchy, and the smell of cooking pasta will fill your kitchen.

While the pasta cooks, prepare the vegetables. In a large mixing bowl, combine the halved cherry tomatoes, diced courgette, diced bell pepper, and frozen peas. The peas will still be cold and hard, but that’s fine — they’ll warm through later. The tomatoes should look bright and glossy, the courgette cubes pale green and firm.

Make the dressing directly in the bowl. Add the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and minced garlic to the vegetables. Season with a pinch of salt and a good crack of black pepper. Stir everything together with a spoon. The oil will coat the vegetables, making them glisten, and the garlic will release its pungent, sharp aroma.

Drain the pasta and don’t rinse it. Once the pasta is al dente, pour it into a colander and let the steam billow away. Do not run cold water over it. You want the residual heat to help the dressing meld and to gently warm the raw vegetables. The pasta will look slightly sticky and glossy as it sits in the colander.

Combine while hot. Tip the hot, steaming pasta directly into the bowl with the vegetables and dressing. Use tongs or a pasta fork to toss everything together thoroughly. The heat from the pasta will soften the courgette slightly, warm the peas until they turn a brighter green, and release the juices from the cherry tomatoes. You’ll see the dressing turn a pale, cloudy pink from the tomato juices.

Add the final touches. Sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese and drained capers over the top. Toss gently once more so the feta starts to soften and melt into the warm pasta, creating little creamy pockets. The capers will add little bursts of briny saltiness against the sweet tomatoes and courgette.

Finish with fresh herbs. Tear the basil leaves over the salad and give it one last gentle stir. The basil will wilt slightly from the residual heat, releasing its sweet, peppery fragrance. Taste and adjust seasoning — you might want a little more lemon juice or another crack of black pepper.

Serve immediately or set aside. This is the moment. You can eat it straight away while the feta is still soft and the pasta is warm, or you can let it cool to room temperature. If you’re making it ahead, cover the bowl and pop it in the fridge.