After years of experimentation, here is a great recipe for the tastiest pasta. You can change the volume of ingredients, but the sauce serves roundabout four people.

You will need:

• Pasta (penne is recommended)
• 1 tablespoon red pesto
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic (recommended, but can be changed according to taste)
• ½ a green pepper, ½ a red pepper, chopped
• Button mushrooms, chopped
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup of passata (a very thin tomato sauce/purée) or pasta sauce
• Tomato purée (to thicken as required)
• Basil (fresh or dried), oregano, salt and pepper to taste
• Some olive oil (or whatever you have handy)

Method

1. Chop up the ingredients, crush the garlic and brown the onion and garlic in a large pan with the oil.

2. Add the pesto and mix well, then add the passata and the rest of the veggies.

3. While this is simmering, put the pasta on to boil (pasta won't stick to the pan if you add a teaspoon of oil to the water).

4. Add the tomatoes, purée as required and the herbs and seasonings to the sauce.

5. Keep stirring the sauce as it simmers to infuse the ingredients; generally the sauce is ready when the pasta is, which is handy.

As an extra to the dish, but is not necessary, you can make the pasta even tastier by putting it back into the pan when drained and adding a blob of butter/margarine and mixing it in. Great for the tastebuds, not so great for that waistline! Once the pasta is drained, serve into separate bowls and pour the sauce over. Serve with freshly grated cheese, Italian bread, your favourite carafe of wine and salad.