Feeding the family on a budget can be a little tough. Here’s a recipe that’s easy to make, easy on the pocket and deliciously more-ish.
Serves 4 – 5
Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 75g pitted olives, sliced (green or black, whatever you have or prefer)
- 2 tins chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 stock cube
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp dried herbs (basil and/or oregano work best)
- 450g pasta (of your choice, whatever you have in the cupboard)
- 150g grated cheese (whatever you’ve got in your fridge! Cheddar, mozzarella, cheese slices etc)
- 1 tin of tuna, drained (optional)
- Salt and pepper
Method:
- Heat a glug of olive oil in a large deep frying pan on a medium heat and fry the garlic, tomato purée and onion for 2 minutes. Stir in the olives, tinned tomatoes, dried herbs and the crumbled stock cube. Season with black pepper and a little salt, add the sugar and bring to the boil, then simmer over a medium heat for 15 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 180°C. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente (cooked but with a little bite). Drain, reserving about half a cup of pasta water, then stir into the tomato sauce, along with the tuna if you’re using it, and the saved pasta water. Stir well.
- Pour the mixture into an ovenproof baking dish and scatter over the grated cheese. Bake for 20 minutes until piping hot and the topping is golden.
- Dig in!