A perfect pasta dish to welcome spring and keep you in anticipation of tomato season. It’s a simple tomato sauce, that’s light, tart and sweet, made silky by the addition of the pasta water, which allows for the sauce to softly coat each strand of pasta. To make that much more savoury, it’s studded with briny green olives that add an unbeatable sharpness and zest.

Notes:

Pasta - My preferred shape of pasta to use is either a spaghetti or bucatini, as the sauce clings to them perfectly.

Herbs - If you have fresh herbs, use them! If not, a little dried thyme will work

Time: 25 mins/ Serves: 2

Ingredients

4 Large Cloves Garlic
350g Tomato (I use cherry plum tomatoes)
5 tbsp Olive Oil
40g Green Olives (pitted)
200g Pasta
Salt & Pepper
Small Handful Fresh Basil & Thyme (optional)

Method

Finely chop the garlic, roughly chop the tomatoes, and pit the olives now if you need to
To a hot pan on a medium-low heat, add in the olive oil followed by the garlic
When the garlic scent fills your kitchen & the garlic takes on the slightest bit of colour (not golden, but slightly more yellow) add in the tomatoes and a large pinch of salt
Stir every minute or so, and let cook for about 5 mins
Add the pasta to a pot of boiling water & cook for 2 minutes less than instructed on the packet
By this time, the tomato sauce should have turned a little jammy and thickened
Add in the olives, followed by the drained pasta (reserving a cup of the pasta water)
Add in half a cup of pasta water and toss everything together, followed by the other half then let the pasta finish cooking in the tomato sauce, this will take 2-3 minutes
Add in the herbs now if you’re using them, then toss
Serve with freshly cracked black pepper & feel free to add freshly grated parmesan too

Enjoy