Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce

adapted from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan

Makes enough sauce for 450 g pasta, or 4 servings

The Italian way of serving pasta is to add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir so that all the pasta gets coated, not putting a mound of sauce on top of the pasta, like you often see. Feel free to vary the recipe by adding in some chopped garlic, herbs or even chillies. Serve with a green salad, a loaf of garlic bread and a nice bottle of wine for the grown-ups for an easy pasta supper.

2 x 400 g tins whole plum tomatoes, with their juices
75 g unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut in half
salt, to taste

Combine the tomatoes, their juices, the butter, and the onion halves in a medium saucepan. Add a pinch or two of salt. Place over a medium heat and bring to a simmer, mashing up the tomatoes gently with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook, uncovered, at a very slow but steady simmer, adjusting the heat as necessary, for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free from the tomato and the sauce has reduced and thickened. Stir occasionally, continuing to mash any large pieces of tomato with the wooden spoon. Taste and salt as needed. Discard the onion before serving.

Pasta with Tuna, Tomatoes and Olives

adapted from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros

Serves 4

If you don’t have fresh herbs, just use some dried basil instead. Olives can become bitter if cooked too long, so you should add them in at the end of a recipe. Vary the recipe for more grown-up tastes by adding in some chopped anchovies, capers or chilli flakes.

400 g pasta, such as penne, farfalle or spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 x 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 x 170 g can of tuna, drained
3 basil leaves, torn
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
a few handfuls of black olives, halved

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and season well with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, then add the tuna, breaking up any large chunks with a wooden spoon. Add in the basil, parsley and olives and simmer for a few minutes more, then remove from the heat.

Drain the pasta and reserve some of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the sauce. Add some of the pasta cooking water to help the sauce coat the pasta if necessary. Serve immediately.

Pasta with Bacon, Peas and Cream

adapted from Feast by Nigella Lawson

Serves 4

In her book The Dinner Lady, Jeanette Orrey makes a version of this where instead of the cream and Parmesan, you could add 300 g grated cheddar cheese and 100 ml milk to the drained pasta at the end, stirring until the cheese has melted.

400 g farfalle (bow ties) or other short pasta
200 g frozen peas
225 g bacon, diced (or use leftover diced ham)
300 ml double cream
50 g freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra to serve
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions in plenty of boiling salted water. After 5 minutes, add the peas to the pasta to cook them together in the one pot.

Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a separate pan until crispy. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

When the pasta is cooked, drain along with the peas. Put the pot back on the heat with the bacon, cream and Parmesan. Stir well and warm it through. Add the drained pasta and peas back to the pan and toss everything together. Season to taste and serve with extra Parmesan grated on top.

You can find these recipes and more family favourites on our blog, www.dinnerdujour.org.