Lemony spaghetti, ricotta gnocchi, tuna pasta, pesto salad and homemade tomato sauce – there’s something for everyone here …
HOMEMADE TOMATO SAUCE WITH PASTA
Homemade tomato sauce should be a kitchen staple – this simple recipe is so quick and delicious, you’ll never go back to jars. I recommend making a big batch to keep in the fridge as a base for lots of other dishes, but halve the ingredients if cooking for two.
SLOW ROASTED TOMATOES WITH RICOTTA GNOCCHI
You can easily adjust this recipe to make as much as you need – sometimes I just make some to have on toast or as a side. This version makes enough pasta sauce for four people. Ideally, use the best tomatoes you can find, but I’ve also tested it with budget supermarket tomatoes, and they still tasted great. So, use whatever you can afford or have on hand. For the gnocchi, the quantity of flour you use depends on your ricotta, so just keep an eye and add a little more if it’s feeling too wet. It should be a very rough, soft dough.
LEMONY PASTA WITH CAPERS
This is one of those recipes that I make myself a lot when there’s very little in the house. The chopped lemon rind is the best bit, trust me on this. You can add anchovies here too, just drop them in along with the lemon and garlic.
SICILIAN TUNA PASTA
Try this grown up version of tuna pasta bake – one of the most flavourful and simple pasta dishes. It goes without saying that the better the tuna the better this will taste, but I did make it with a suspiciously unmarked tin once and it still tasted good! Make extra and it’s great as a pasta salad for lunch.
TOM JACKSON’S LEMON PESTO PASTA SALAD
My friend Tom shares a recipe from Procida, an island off Italy, well known for lemons that’s the perfect recipe to make on holiday. I styled his book Cool Pasta and fell in love with his style of cooking. He, like me, feels as passionate about cooking while away, so I love to see what he manages to make wherever he goes.