SMOKED TOFU, OLIVE & CAPER SAUCE FOR PASTA

Serves 4 You will need:

1 large onion, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 cloves garlic, sliced 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 medium chilli, flesh only, chopped Small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped 350g jar of tomato passata 2 teaspoons maple syrup 1 handful of black olives 200g smoked tofu, cubed 2 tablespoons capers Enough pasta for 4 people (allow about 75g to 115g dried pasta per person) Parmesan or pecorino, grated, to serve (optional) 1 Soften and colour the thinly sliced onion by sweating it in your largest pan with one tablespoon of the olive oil over a medium flame for 6-8 minutes. (The onion works really well when it is halved and thinly sliced as opposed to diced — the long, lanky strands of caramelised sweetness wrap around your pasta and fork.)

2 After 3-4 minutes, as the onions are cooking, add the sliced garlic to the pan, and stir to prevent burning. Tumble in the dried oregano, the chopped chilli, the chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, the tomato passata and the maple syrup. Simmer to thicken for 20 minutes.

3 While the sauce gets saucy, de-stone your black olives, then add the pitted olives to the sauce. Olives are much tastier if they are purchased with the stones intact; the stones impart a wonderful flavour. Throumpa are my favourite variety of olives.

4 In a frying pan, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and colour the cubed tofu all over. Add the browned tofu cubes to the pot of sauce. In the same frying pan, fry the capers over a high flame for 1 minute until they are crisp. Set them aside to drain on kitchen paper.

5 Cook your favourite pasta according to the packet instructions. When it’s cooked, stir through your hot sauce and tofu, tickle with the crispy capers you set aside earlier. Serve with grated Parmesan or pecorino, if you fancy.