Roma tomato & pork sausage pasta

Prep 15 mins | Cook 35 mins | Serves 4

600g ripe Roma (egg) tomatoes
1 tbs olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
6 (about 500g) Italian-style pork sausages
1 carrot, finely diced
1 stick celery, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup tomato passata sauce
¹⁄₂ cup beef stock or water
350g dried rollini, fusili or spiral pasta

Step 1 Cut a small cross in the skin at one end of tomatoes. Place tomatoes in a heatproof bowl and pour over boiling water to cover. Stand for 1 minute. Rinse in cold water and peel. Deseed and chop tomatoes. Set aside.

Step 2 Heat oil in a large deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Increase heat to high, cut sausage casings with scissors and crumble small pieces sausage meat into pan (discard casings). Cook, stirring often, for 5-6 minutes until well browned. Add carrot, celery and garlic and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and stock or water, partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat for 25–30 minutes until tomatoes are very tender.

Step 3 Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water following packet directions until al dente. Drain pasta and return to pan. Add tomato and sausage sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss until well combined. Spoon into serving bowls and serve.

Good for you ... Roma Tomatoes

A very good source of vitamin C which contributes to the normal functioning of the body’s immune system.

Provides potassium which may help balance the sodium from salt.

A source of dietary fibre which helps the normal function of the intestine.

Tomatoes are the richest food source of lycopene, a member of the carotenoid family. Research suggests that lycopene may play a role in the normal health of the prostate gland. The redder the tomato, the higher its lycopene content. Rich red tomatoes are also a source of beta carotene which is converted into vitamin A in the body and is needed for vision.