HARVEST PASTA WITH BLISTERED TOMATOES & SMOKY BREADCRUMBS

SERVES 4

At this time of year, when you get to the end of a long school or work day, a quick plate of filling, silky, ribbony pasta doesn’t go amiss. My crew love this dish with its crunchy sprinkling of garlicky, smoky breadcrumbs. Using fresh lasagne sheets sliced into wide strips, which cook in no time, makes this meal super-quick to prepare – especially if you are using pre-made crumbs. I always make double the quantity of smoky breadcrumbs and keep the excess in an airtight jar in the fridge (they last for a week), along with a few packets of fresh pasta – very handy for spontaneous crowd-feeding.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups crusty, day-old bread, torn into chunks 1 clove garlic, crushed

3 sprigs flatleaf parsley, plus extra to garnish 1 rasher smoky bacon

Olive oil, for drizzling over crumbs and frying

1½-2 cups cherry tomatoes or mixed small heirloom tomatoes (halve or quarter any large ones)

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp raw sugar

400g fresh egg lasagne sheets

Extra virgin olive oil, to finish

Parmesan shavings (optional)

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C fanbake. Place bread, garlic, parsley and bacon in a food processor and pulse to coarse crumbs.

2 Spread crumbs on a lined baking sheet and drizzle with 2-3 Tbsp oil. Bake for 5-10 minutes (stir once) until golden and crisp on top.

3 In a large frying pan, fry tomatoes in 2 Tbsp oil over medium heat until starting to soften and blister. Add balsamic and sugar and season to taste. Stir to dissolve sugar then remove pan from heat and set aside.

4 Cut pasta sheets into 2cm-wide ribbons. Cook in salted, simmering water until al dente. Drain, add to tomatoes and stir well to coat.

5 Quickly transfer pasta to platter and sprinkle a good handful of crumbs on top. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, grate over some parmesan, if desired, and garnish with a few torn parsley leaves. Serve with crusty bread and a green salad.