Warm tomato rigatoni with olives, sun-dried tomato, mozzarella, cheese, and a crisp side of lettuce, pepper, and cherry tomatoes. About 25 minutes, serves 1.
A warm rigatoni bowl built from a quick tomato sauce with onion, olives, and sun-dried tomato, then balanced with crisp lettuce, red pepper, and cherry tomatoes. Mozzarella and chopped mild cheese make it satisfying without turning it into a heavy cream sauce.Serves 1 generously · about 25 minutes
Ingredients
The pasta
100–120 g rigatoni or another short pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
½ small onion, roughly chopped
2–3 sun-dried tomato pieces, chopped
5–6 black olives, chopped
150–200 g canned chopped tomatoes
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried basil
¼ tsp garlic granules
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt, to taste
A splash of pasta water, as needed
The bowl
4–5 small mozzarella balls, torn or left whole
30–40 g mild cheese, finely chopped or grated
A handful of crisp lettuce, roughly chopped
½ small red pepper, chopped
5–6 cherry tomatoes, halved or left whole
Method
Start the pasta. Bring a small pot of well-salted water to the boil. Add the rigatoni and cook until just tender, following the packet timing. Before draining, save a small mugful of pasta water.
Soften the onion. While the pasta cooks, warm the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened but not deeply browned.
Build the flavour base. Add the chopped sun-dried tomato and olives. Cook for 1–2 minutes so their oil and salt season the onion.
