Enjoy forkfuls of Mediterranean sunshine with every bite! The whole family will love it!
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: around 25 minutes
Ingredients
Pasta
- 400g rigatoni
- 900g tomatoes (Salad variety or sweeter ‘On The Vine’), chopped
- 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2tbsp tomato puree
- 2tbsp lemon juice
- 70g pitted black olives, rough chopped
- Olive oil, drizzle
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Dressing
- 400g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 bunch, flat leaf parsley, rough chopped
- 1 bunch of basil (reserve some for the topping – see below), rough chopped
- 1tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1tbsp honey
- 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Topping
- Mozzarella, 2 balls, torn into bite-sized pieces
- 70g pine nuts, toasted
- Basil, remaining portion
Method
- Heat a large saucepan of water on high and salt it well after it boils (not before, as it increases the boiling point) then add the pasta and cook for a minute less than recommended — around 10 minutes, see pasta packet — as it’ll cook further in the pan later. When ready drain and drizzle with a little oil to stop it sticking
- Meanwhile, prepare the ingredients –
- peel, halve and thin slice the garlic cloves and shallots. Set aside
- rough chop the olives and parsley (including the stalks as they’re full of flavour!) and halve the cherry tomatoes. Add tomatoes and parsley to a small mixing bowl and season. Set olives aside
- toast the pine nuts in frying pan for a couple of minutes until golden. Set aside
- Wipe down your frying pan, place on medium and heat a drizzle of oil. Sauté shallots for 5 minutes or until tender. Add the garlic, fry for 30 seconds then add the tomato puree and cook for a minute. Add the tin of chopped tomatoes, your freshly chopped tomatoes, the olives and lemon juice. Bring to the boil then simmer for around 10 minutes or until you have a thickened sauce
- While the sauce thickens, prepare the dressing –
- rough chop the basil including the stalks (like the parsley, they’re full of flavour!)
- drain the mozzarella and tear into bite-sized pieces
- retrieve your mixing bowl of cherry tomatoes and parsley and add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey. Season well, give it a good stir, then set aside
- When the pasta sauce is ready, add the drained pasta, half the basil and half the mozzarella and mix well. Cook for a minute
- Portion in to bowls, add a few spoonfuls of dressing, top with the remaining mozzarella and basil and sprinkle with pine nuts. Absolutely delicious!
Enjoy x
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