Bucatini all’amatriciana

Bucatini is a long spaghetti-shaped pasta with a hole running through the centre (like long, thin macaroni). It has a wonderful texture and is the traditional choice with this Roman sauce, although linguine or spaghetti will be great if you can’t find any

Serves 4 Ready in 30 minutes

Low-calorie cooking spray 250g smoked dry-cured back bacon rashers, all visible fat removed, chopped into small pieces 1 medium onion, finely chopped

½ tsp dried chilli flakes 2 x 400g cans whole plum tomatoes 2 tbsp tomato purée 500g dried bucatini pasta (or use spaghetti or linguine) Small pack fresh basil, shredded Salad, to serve

1 Spray a non-stick lidded frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the bacon and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until just cooked through. Scoop on to a plate and keep warm.

2 Add the onion, chilli and 3tbsp water to the pan, cover and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes.

3 Uncover the pan and gently crush the canned tomatoes into the pan. Stir in the tomato purée and simmer for 15 minutes or until reduced to a good sauce consistency.

4 Meanwhile, cook the bucatini according to the pack instructions. Drain well and return it to the hot pan.

5 Season the sauce to taste, pour it over the bucatini along with the bacon and toss together well. Scatter over the basil and serve with salad.