Tagliarini With Slow-Cooked Tomato Sauce & Burrata

If tomatoes are in season then it’s nice to use fresh ones, but in winter it’s best to avoid them and just use canned tomatoes instead.

Serves 4

• 400g/14oz egg tagliarini
• 5 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 x 400g/14oz tin of chopped tomatoes or 500g/1lb 2oz fresh datterini or cherry tomatoes
• handful of basil leaves
• 2 burrata, halved
• Parmesan, to serve

In a medium saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the garlic and fry on a low heat till fragrant – it will take about 1–2 minutes – then add the tomatoes and stir together. Cook for 20 minutes on a low setting, stirring from time to time. Crush the tomatoes gently with the back of a fork or a spoon. Season to taste, then add the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil and continue cooking for another 10–15 minutes.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil, salt it well and drop the pasta into the water. Cook for 1½–2 minutes, then transfer the tagliarini to the tomato sauce, together with a ladleful of the pasta cooking water.

Mix well by tossing or using tongs to turn the pasta, check the seasoning again, adding black pepper and more salt if needed. Finally stir in the basil leaves and check that the sauce is the right consistency; if the sauce is too thick, just add a touch more pasta water.

Serve onto four plates and place half a burrata on the top of each plate. Drizzle with olive oil and if you like grate some Parmesan on top.