Mindfulness factor: healthy pasta-fuelled midweek meal that’ll transport your tastebuds to the Mediterranean
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: around 25 minutes
Ingredients
Pasta
• 400g penne
• 900g ‘On The Vine’ tomatoes
• 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2tbsp tomato puree
• 2tbsp lemon juice
• 70g pitted 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 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 onion then 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 then set aside
• Wipe down your frying pan, place on medium and heat a drizzle of oil. Sauté the onion 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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