Serves 4
Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 17–20 minutes
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 kg (2 lb) very ripe plum tomatoes, skinned and chopped
2 teaspoons good-quality aged balsamic vinegar about 30 basil leaves
400 g (13 oz) dried pasta of your choice
salt and black pepper
freshly grated Parmesan cheese or extra virgin olive oil, to serve
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat, add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Quickly stir in the tomatoes. Bring to the boil, season with salt and pepper and cook for 6–7 minutes, squashing the tomatoes down slightly to release their juice.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar and basil. Leave the flavour of the basil to infuse into the sauce while you cook the pasta.
Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water according to the packet instructions until al dente. Transfer the sauce to a serving bowl. Drain the pasta thoroughly, then stir into the sauce. Serve immediately with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or a scattering of grated Parmesan.
For pasta-stuffed peppers, halve and deseed 4 large peppers and grill them cut side down until the skins have blackened. Allow to cool, then peel. Make the tomato sauce as above and combine with 250 g (8 oz) small pasta shapes, cooked, drained, rinsed and drained again. Place the peppers in a large shallow dish and fill each pepper with a quarter of the pasta mixture. Top with 150 g (5 oz) sliced mozzarella and cook under a preheated medium grill until the cheese is bubbling and golden.