This recipe takes hardly any time at all to make, so it’s a delicious meal for a weeknight. The combination of flavours is really good (although the first time we made it we were missing the sage because I couldn’t find any at the supermarket!). You could easily make a bigger batch for family or friends, or even leave out the Parma ham for a veggie version. I had linguine, but Tom has wholewheat fusilli instead – use whichever pasta you prefer.

Ingredients (serves 2)

2 tbsp olive oil
400g cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped sage
a pinch of dried crushed chilli flakes
3 garlic cloves, crushed
sea salt flakes, crushed
85g Parma ham, slices separated
150g dried linguine
125g ricotta

Method

1. Warm the oil in a medium pan and tip in the cherry tomatoes, sage, chilli flakes, garlic and a generous pinch of sea salt.

2. Cook together for 10-15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the tomatoes have begun to soften – press them with the back of a spoon to squash them slightly.

3. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Separate the slices of Parma ham and slice into strips – dry-fry in a frying pan for a few minutes until crisp.

4. Boil the pasta according to pack instructions, drain, then return to the pan and toss with the hot tomato mixture and the strips of Parma ham.

5. Add the ricotta, in small pieces, toss once more and serve in warmed bowls.

This recipe is taken from the Sainsbury’s magazine website.