'Pasta and five tomatoes'
Ingredients:
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1kg of tomatoes - five or more varieties, but try to include some San Marzano toms, traditionally used to make pasta sauce.
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1-2 tbsp tomato purée
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2 good-sized garlic cloves, very finely chopped
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1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
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Handful of fresh basil, rolled up and sliced
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Smattering of hard Italian cheese, finely grated (optional)
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Wholemeal pasta of your choice (I like fat spaghettoni or fusilli)
Method:
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Chop all the tomatoes up into even-sized pieces They needn't be too small.
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Place the toms into a big, non-stick pan (a casserole is good) and add a splash of water from the tap.
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Heat the tomatoes over a medium-high heat, stirring regularly so they don't catch on the bottom. The water will help prevent this and speed up cooking with some steaming action.
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Once the tomatoes start to break down, add the garlic, reduce the heat to a very low simmer and cover with a lid. Leave to cook very slowly for as long as you can (I like to leave mine for around two hours) but be sure to lift the lid to stir occasionally.
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Add the tomato purée, balsamic and 3/4 of the fresh basil and bring up to the boil again, before reducing back down to a low simmer.
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Meanwhile cook your pasta according to the instructions.
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Drain the pasta and plonk into the pan of rich sauce, stirring through.
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Serve in big bowls, topped with more fresh basil and a light dusting of cheese.
Serves 2
Health
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All the veg are full of vitamins, minerals and in the case of the tomatoes, antioxidants such as lycopene.
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Wholemeal bread is rich in fibre and can help lower cholesterol.
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Basil is believed to be powerfully antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory.