Creamy Tomato Pasta with Mozzarella

• 400 gpenne
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 1onion, finely diced
• 3garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsptomato puree
• 500 mlpassata
• 120 mldouble cream
• ½ tspcaster sugar
• 1 tspdried basil
• 250 gmozzarella pearls, drained
• 80 gbaby spinach
• 15 gbasil, torn
• 40 gParmesan, finely grated
• salt and black pepper to taste

Method

1. 1Warm the olive oil in a large, deep frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 6 to 7 minutes until soft, translucent and just starting to catch gold at the edges.
2. 2Add the sliced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant; pale gold, no further. Stir in the tomato puree and cook for another minute until it darkens a shade and smells sweet rather than sharp.
3. 3Pour in the passata with a splash of water. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce has tightened slightly and tastes rounded rather than raw. Taste; if the tomatoes are sharp, stir in the sugar.
4. 4Stir in the cream and dried basil and bring back to a gentle simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon in a silky pink veil. Season boldly with salt and black pepper now; the pasta will mute it, so push further than feels polite.
5. 5Use plenty of water and bring it to a strong boil. Season the pasta itself. Cook the penne until a minute shy of al dente, scoop out a mugful of the starchy water, then drain.
6. 6Tip the penne into the sauce with a good splash of the pasta water. Toss over the heat for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce clings in a creamy coat rather than pooling at the bottom. Fold the spinach through until just wilted, then add the mozzarella pearls and fold once or twice so they soften and string slightly without melting away to nothing.

Per serving

kcal

855

protein

37.7g

fibre

7g

carbs

93.1g

fat

36.4g