Tomatoes

Our poor vegie garden has really suffered over this hot, hot summer. We had some good lettuces for only a week or so before Christmas, the rest have been either, burnt or eaten by grasshoppers. Our sorrel has had heatstroke and our rocket is only just hanging in there. So I was happy to go out this morning to find these tomatoes, red ripe in the morning sunshine.

The perfect end to a lazy Saturday was to make this easy tomato pasta for dinner. I clipped it from a newspaper when I was living in London about 15 years ago. I remember the first night I cooked it for friends, when I was still living there. Yummo! I have cooked it many times since and it is still a big favourite of mine. I hope you like it too. Be warned, you may eat more than one bowl of this pasta. Tonight I ate 3. I think that's bordering on gluttony.



Mmmm! real tomatoes, these taste just like the ones I ate on my Nana's farm when I was growing up.



Pasta with Tomatoes and Chickpeas

serves 4-6

• 500 grams dried penne
• 4 tomatoes (diced) or 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes (halved)
• 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
• 1/2 red onion (diced 1 teaspoon chilli (finely diced)
• 2 tablespoons basil (torn)
• salt and pepper
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 x 400 gram tin chickpeas (drained)
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 4 tablespoons parmesan cheese (grated)

to serve

• extra parmesan cheese (grated)

Bring the water to the boil and cook the pasta until al dente. In the meantime, in a bowl combine the next 6 ingredients and set aside. Season to taste. Add the chickpeas to the saucepan 1 minute before pasta is ready. Drain and transfer to a warm serving bowl. Spoon over the raw sauce and lemon juice and mix well. Add the cheese and serve immediately. Serve with extra parmesan on the table.