I don’t eat pasta very often these days because of the carb count but, when I do, I want a punchy sauce that makes it totally worth it. This popular and tasty recipe comes from the town of Amatrice, which is situated on the slopes of the Tronto valley in central Italy’s Abruzzi region. Use very good quality butcher’s grade streaky bacon and as much chilli as you like and you’ll have a delicious supper on the table in less than half an hour.

Serves 4

• 2 tbsps light olive oil
• 200g smoked streaky bacon, cut into lardons
• 1 medium sized onion
• 1 x 400g tin of tomatoes
• 1 fresh green chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
• 2 pinches of red chilli flakes
• 400g small rigatoni pasta (I used the Rummo Mezzi Rigatoni)
• 75g grated parmesan
• Salt and pepper

To make…

• Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the bacon strips over a medium heat until it renders its fat and starts to become crisp. Remove it with a slotted spoon to a side plate.
• Add the onion to the fat in the pan and cook until golden translucent. Add the tomatoes, the fresh and dried chilli and season with a touch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for a further 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet – usually about 14 minutes in plenty of boiling salted water.
• Drain and add it to the sauce in the pan with half the cheese. Mix thoroughly and warm through for another couple of minutes.
• Serve immediately with the bacon and remaining cheese scattered over it.

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