The Lazy Person's Pasta

Feeds 3 - 4

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To kick off Autumn we're making PASTA! And probably the most simple pasta ever. I created this recipe a couple of months ago when I was so hungry but had nothing, and I mean nothing, in the fridge. I had half a punnet of cherry plum tomatoes, a red pepper, an onion, some garlic, and a little bit of pasta. I decided to go simple, as the Italians like to do, and try and make that work. Not to call myself a genius or anything, but it turned out pretty damn good. So here is my pasta-for-the-people, the laziest version of pasta (without using a jar of sauce), my genius hack to fancy - The Lazy Person's Pasta.

PRO TIPS

• SAVE YOUR PASTA WATER! This is what will turn a pile of veggies into a sauce. It is so important to do this. When in doubt, save your pasta water...always. I usually add even just a splash to any pasta dish i'm making. It's salty and starchy and a delicious addition.

• You can use yellow peppers as well as red (I would hesitate using green peppers unless you love them). For that matter, you can use white or red onion in the dish.

• Load up on the garlic. Less is not more. More isn't even more. If you are a garlic lover, add more than the recipe says, don't be shy, it will be beautiful. Please and thank you.

Price of Ingredients

Not including: Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper, Chilli Flakes, Sugar

Sum Total of Ingredients: £3.40

Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 large red or white onion, sliced

• 2 red peppers, sliced

• 4-6 garlic cloves, sliced

• 1 red chilli, deseeded and diced OR 1/2 -1 teaspoon of dried chilli flakes

• 1 cup of halved cherry tomatoes

• 2 teaspoons of white granulated sugar

• 350g of dry spaghetti

• Salt and Pepper to taste

• Basil leaves to serve (Optional)

• Grated parmesan (Optional)

Method

1. Add the olive oil to a frying pan on medium heat. When the oil is glistening, add the sliced onions and peppers. Sauté for 10-15 minutes or until soft. Turn the heat up slightly and add the garlic and chilli (or chilli flakes). Sauté for 2 minutes.

2. Throw in the cherry tomato halves and season generously with the salt, pepper, and sugar. Let the tomatoes cook for about 3-5 minutes before you start to squish them down to create a sauce.

3. After you have thrown in your tomatoes, start to prepare your pasta according to your liking (I like it quite al dente but to each his own). If you're not sure how long to cook pasta for, I always recommend throwing a very large pinch of salt into a pot of boiling water, stirring in your spaghetti, occasionally stirring for about 8 - 10 minutes. I'm playing fast and loose with the amount of time it takes to cook; just keep checking it until it is your desired texture. When it's done SAVE YOUR PASTA WATER!!!

4. Once the tomatoes have broken down and the sauce is looking like a deep red paste of onions and peppers (about 20 minutes of cooking) slowly start adding in your pasta water. Between 1 – 1 ½ cups. Add little bit by bit and let it incorporate into the sauce before adding more as you might reach your desired consistency after 3/4 of a cup.

5. Take your pasta and toss it through the sauce for a minute. Take your pan off the heat and serve with fresh basil & parmesan. Et Voila!

6. Enjoy!

Stay Salty,

Romy xx