Tomato and olive pasta

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 4 tomatoes, chopped into 1cm chunks

• Half a jar of black olives, drained

• 300g fusilli pasta

• Optional: 150-200g vegan feta cheese, chopped into 1cm chunks

Summery pasta with tomatoes and olives

This simple tomato and olive pasta dish is perfect for a sunny day and you can easily increase the quantities if you’re feeding friends in the garden. The vegan feta cheese is optional and you can add a little more oil to suit your tastes. If you hate washing up, you’ll love this quick and easy vegan pasta recipe because you can cook it all in one pan. This tomato and olive pasta recipe serves four people.

Step 1 Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion on a low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and fry for 1-2 minutes, then add the tomato and olives for 1 minute. Dish onto a plate and set to one side.

Step 2 Fill the same pan with water and bring to the boil. Add a pinch of salt and the pasta, stir, then turn down the heat to a simmer. Cook for 10-12 minutes or however long the pasta instructions advise.

Step 3 Drain the pasta, then add it back to the pan. Gently add the onion, garlic, tomatoes, olives and oil into the pan and stir gently. If using the feta, add now and mix into the pasta.

Step 4 Season with salt and pepper to your tastes, serve onto plates and enjoy. Drizzle with a little more oil if desired.

Tips If you want to use non-vegan cheese, consider buying a higher welfare or organic feta cheese. While these aren’t as cruelty free or good for the environment as vegan cheese, they are still more ethical than normal commercial cheese. I believe it’s better to recognise that every little change helps rather than putting people off changing at all by expecting perfection.

Later in the summer, I add a few basil leaves to give this dish some extra flavour. I used fusilli, but this also works well with penne, sprali, conchiglie, orecchiette and farfalle. And if you like spice, you could add a few chilli flakes or a sprinkle of chilli powder after serving up the tomato and olive pasta.

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