Ingredients:

Tomato sauce:

  • 200 ml olive oil
  • 250 g ripe cherry tomatoes
  • 2 crushed garlic gloves
  • 2 sprigs each of rosemary and thyme
  • Peel of ½ lemon
  • Coarse salt and black pepper corns

Pasta:

  • 500 g fusilli
  • 200 g mangetouts
  • 1 bunch of green asparagus
  • Salt, freshly ground pepper
  • Pinch of sugar
  • Several squirts of lemon juice for refining
  • Fresh thyme for garnishing

Spring pasta

For: Serves 4

Preparation:

  1. Pour the olive oil into a small frying pan (the pan should be large enough to place all the tomatoes next to each other and not over each other) and warm over a medium heat. Put the cherry tomatoes along with the garlic, thyme, rosemary and lemon peel into the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the tomatoes (about 45 minutes) until they start to burst. Then turn off the cooker and put the pan to one side.
  2. Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente according to the instructions on the pack. Drain but reserve some pasta water and put to one side.
  3. Cut the mangetouts diagonally in half. Cut off the bottom ends of the asparagus. Then cut the asparagus stems diagonally into bite-sized pieces. Heat 2 tablespoons of the tomato oil with some pasta water in a large pan. Add the mangetouts and asparagus. Season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar and cook covered for about 5 minutes.
  4. Mix in the pasta with the vegetables. If desired, reheat for a few minutes, add the lemon juice and season once more.
  5. Arrange everything on plates. Scatter the cherry tomatoes over the pasta. Garnish with fresh thyme, some freshly ground pepper and serve.

Tip: If some of the tomato oil is left over, don’t throw it away as it is perfect for flavouring salad.