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TOMATO, BASIL AND PARMESAN PASTA

A well-made tomato pasta sauce is hard to beat. A traditional soffrito base (carrot, onion and celery) provides a great flavour, and the addition of wine and a little sugar is essential for balancing the acidity of tomatoes.

Hands-on time 45min. Cooking time 1hr. Serves 4

2tbsp olive oil 2 carrots, diced 1 large onion, diced 2 celery stalks, diced 1 bay leaf 250ml (9fl oz) dry white wine 300ml (10fl oz) hot vegetable stock 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes 1tsp caster sugar 350g (12oz) dried linguine A small handful of basil leaves, roughly torn 50g (2oz) finely grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Heat the oil in a flameproof, ovenproof casserole on the hob. Add the carrots, onion, celery and bay leaf, and season to taste. Cook gently for 15–20min,

stirring occasionally, until soft and golden.

2 Add the wine, hot stock and tomatoes. Bring to the boil, then cover and cook in the oven for 20min. Remove the lid and cook for a further 20min, until the sauce is thick. Taste the sauce – if it’s a little sharp, add caster sugar to taste.

3 Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the pack instructions or until al dente. Drain, then add the sauce with the basil and toss. Divide among four warm plates or bowls, and sprinkle the Parmesan over.

PER SERVING 555cals, 19g protein, 11g fat (4g saturates), 79g carbs (17g total sugars), 9g fibre.

GH TIP The Italian term ‘al dente’ is often used to describe the desired texture of cooked pasta – it literally translates as ‘to the tooth’. Pasta should be served with a little bite to it, rather than completely tender.