Pesto & tomato pasta with crispy crumbs

30-60 minutes 800 kcal or less budget cheap easy linguine mains parmesan pasta pesto pine nut pine nuts quick recipes spaghetti store cupboard storecupboard recipes tomato pasta sauce vegetarian

N/A

Source

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

Method

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.

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.

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.