
Nutrition and extra info
- Vegetarian
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal659
- fat29g
- saturates7g
- carbs82g
- sugars10g
- fibre5g
- protein22g
- salt1.51g
Ingredients
- 1 onion, finely chopped
Onion
un-yunOnions are endlessly versatile and an essential ingredient in countless recipes. Native to Asia…
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
- 4 tbsp olive oil
Olive oil
ol-iv oylProbably the most widely-used oil in cooking, olive oil is pressed from fresh olives. It's…
- 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
- 2 tsp sugar
Sugar
shuh-gaHoney and syrups made from concentrated fruit juice were the earliest known sweeteners. Today,…
- 190g jar basil pesto
Basil
ba-zilMost closely associated with Mediterranean cooking but also very prevalent in Asian food, the…
- few capers or olives (optional)
Capers
kay-perCapers are the small flower buds of the Capparis shrub, which grows in the Mediterranean. As…
- 140g white bread - stale or fresh, whizzed into crumbs (or 140g/5oz breadcrumbs)
- 50g pine nuts, roughly chopped
- 4 tbsp grated parmesan, or vegetarian alternative (optional)
Parmesan
parm-ee-zanParmesan is a straw-coloured hard cheese with a natural yellow rind and rich, fruity flavour. It…
- 25g butter
Butter
butt-errButter is made when lactic-acid producing bacteria are added to cream and churned to make an…
- 350g/12oz-400g/14oz linguine, spaghetti, tagliatelle or whatever you have in the cupboard
Method
Gently cook the onion and half the garlic in 2 tbsp olive oil for 10 mins until soft. Stir in the tomatoes and sugar and simmer for 15-20 mins until saucy. Stir in half the pesto, some seasoning and a few capers or olives, if you have them. Cover and keep warm.
While the sauce is simmering, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Toss the crumbs in a large baking tray with the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, the rest of the garlic, the pine nuts and Parmesan, if Simple yet special storecupboard supper using. Bake for 10 mins, stirring a few times, until golden. Dot over the butter and return to the oven for 2 mins more.
Meanwhile, bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta. Drain, reserving a little cooking water. Stir through the sauce with a splash of cooking water to loosen, if you need to, ripple through the remaining pesto and serve scattered with golden crumbs.
Comments, questions and tips