This week I wanted to feature something quick and simple, and something I make nearly every week. When you've run out of ideas, or food, or you just want something easy to make, pasta is always the answer for me. It's filling, delicious and really quick to make. I was sick of buying different pasta sauces as they were always either expensive for a little pasta sauce or the sugar content was always way too high for a sauce. So I just started making my own. This one is really easy and the ingredients will probably be some of the things you already have in the press or if you need to buy them, then they should last you for a really long time. Now I know I'm not an Italian chef, or know much about cooking really, but I make this enough times during the week that I can guarantee that it tastes good!

You'll need:
1 box of Cucina Passata Sieved Italian Tomatoes (500g)
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
1/2 teaspoon of basil
1/4 teaspoon of parsley
1/2 teaspoon of pepper (coarse)
2 pinches of sea salt
1/3 teaspoon of chilli flakes (if you want it spicy)
1 clove of garlic (finely chopped or crushed)
1 fresh tomato (diced)
3 mushrooms (chopped)
olive oil
Also any added ingredients you like such as onion, peppers, etc.

What you need to do:
In a bowl add the passata sauce along with all the herbs and spices, and mix. Leave to one side.
In a pot add a small bit of olive oil and wait for it to heat up a bit.
Then add in your garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, and any extra ingredients you like.
Wait around 3-4 minutes for the ingredients to cook a bit, then add your sauce.
Leave to simmer on a medium to low heat while you make your pasta.
Be sure to stir it every now and again so nothing sticks to the end of the pot.
When your pasta is ready, drain off the water and mix in the sauce on a low heat.
Then serve!

I hope this recipe comes in handy whenever you need a nice filling meal, or are too lazy to cook anything else. This is also a great recipe to have, as most of the ingredients will expire quickly so you can always have the basic recipe in your press. This sauce can also be used as a pizza sauce too for the base of your pizza, just leave out the whole ingredients such as the whole tomato and mushroom, and keep them as your toppings instead. There's also no need to cook it if your going to use it as a pizza sauce, just mix the passata, herbs and spices and add on the pizza base!

Enjoy!
Jess x