Bucatini with slow-cooked salt cod, tomato & dried olive sauce

(Bucatini con baccalà e olive secche)

Serves 6

2½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra, to serve (optional)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

200 g (7 oz) skinless pin-boned baccalà (salt cod), soaked for at least 2 days (water needs to be changed twice daily), cut into 2 cm (¾ inch) cubes

1 teaspoon finely chopped hot chilli (optional)

12 dried black olives, pitted and cut in half

1 bay leaf

2½ tablespoons dry white wine

300 ml (10½ fl oz) good-quality tomato passata (puréed tomatoes)

600 g (1 lb 5 oz) good-quality dried bucatini

fine sea salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

To make the sauce, heat the extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan over low–medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook gently until they become translucent. Raise the heat and add the salt cod, chilli, if using, olives and bay leaf. Cook for a few minutes before adding the white wine to deglaze the pan. Continue to cook until the wine has nearly completely evaporated then add the tomato passata. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the cod is tender and falling apart.

Cook the bucatini in abundant salted boiling water until al dente. At the same time, reheat the sauce. When cooked, simply strain the pasta, return to the pot and stir through the sauce. Season with the sea salt and black pepper if required. Add the parsley and more extra virgin olive oil, if desired. Serve immediately.