Name: Pesto & tomato pasta with crispy crumbs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 5
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 onion finely chopped; 3 garlic cloves finely chopped or crushed; 4 tbsp olive oil; x cans chopped tomatoes; 2 tsp sugar; 190g jar basil pesto; few capers or olives (optional); 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); 25g butter; 350g/12oz-400g/14oz linguine spaghetti, tagliatelle or whatever you have in the cupboard

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Pesto & tomato pasta with crispy crumbs

Pesto & tomato pasta with crispy crumbs

Good Food team

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Serves 5

Easy

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 40 mins

A star rating of 4.2 out of 5.17 ratingsRate

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This simple yet special storecupboard supper will save the day if you need to rustle something up with a moment's notice

Vegetarian

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Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

1 onion

finely chopped
3 garlic cloves

finely chopped or crushed
4 tbsp olive oil
x cans chopped tomatoes
2 tsp sugar
190g jar basil

pesto
few capers

or olives (optional)
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)
25g butter
350g/12oz-400g/14oz linguine

spaghetti, tagliatelle or whatever you have in the cupboard

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Nutrition: per serving

kcal659
fat29g
saturates7g
carbs82g
sugars10g
fibre5g
protein22g
salt1.51g

Method

step 1

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.
step 2

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.
step 3

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.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, December 2010

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A star rating of 4.2 out of 5.17 ratings

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