FARFALLE FLORENTINA

vegetarian

A Florentina dish will contain spinach and usually cheese.

 

Serves 2

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (or use a garlic press)
  • 1 small hot chilli, chopped (optional)
  • 400g (14 oz) can of chopped tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon honey or sugar
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 250g (8 oz) farfalle (pasta bows)
  • 250g (8 oz) spinach, thawed if frozen
  • 125g (4 oz) mozzarella cheese, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
  • seasoning

Method

  1. Place a large saucepan of salted water on to boil. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small saucepan and gently fry the onion, garlic and chilli, if using, for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the tomatoes, honey and parsley, season to taste, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the pasta is ready.
  2. Cook the pasta bows for 10-12 minutes until tender. Meanwhile, if using fresh spinach, cook it in a little boiling water for 5 minutes, until wilted. Drain the spinach well and stir into the tomato sauce – if using frozen spinach, you won’t need to cook it, just stir it directly into the sauce.
  3. Drain the pasta and return to the pan, pour over the sauce and toss well together. Turn into a heatproof dish and sprinkle over the mozzarella, Parmesan and remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Place under a preheated grill for 5 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden.