Ingredients:
4 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
200g chopped tomatoes (see Tip, below)
6 black olives, pitted and halved
1 anchovy fillet (optional)
1 tsp capers, drained and rinsed o remove excess brine
½ tsp dried oregano
1 pinch of chilli flakes
Sea salt
To serve (optional):
Parmesan (or vegetarian hard cheese)
Few sprigs of parsley, leaves chopped
Method:
1. Heat the oil in a saucepan then add the garlic and cook over a medium heat for a few minutes until soft.
2. Add in the tomatoes, olives, anchovy (if using), capers, oregano and chilli flakes. Stir well and bring to a simmer.
3. Simmer gently for 4-5 minutes or until slightly thickened and reduced. Season to taste with salt.
4. To serve, toss through your pasta and finish with a little grated Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley, if you like.
Chef’s tip:
When tomatoes are in season, swap the tinned tomatoes for 200g fresh vine tomatoes – roughly dice them then add to the sauce as above. Chuck in the green vine as well for added flavour, just scoop out before serving.
Serving suggestion:
Remove the olives, anchovy and capers and you have a deliciously simple tomato sauce – ready for pasta, meatballs or to top pizzas.
Make it dairy-free, vegetarian and vegan:
Simply leave out the anchovy and/or Parmesan as needed.