• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, very finely chopped
• 1 clover garlic, chopped finely

• 1 lb. tomatoes, fresh or canned, chopped with their juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• a few leaves fresh basil or sprigs parsley

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until it is translucent - about 5 to 8 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and the tomatoes with their juice (add 3 tbsp. of water if you are using fresh tomatoes.) Season with salt and pepper Add the remaining herbs and cook for 10 - 30 minutes.

Pass the sauce through a food mill or processor. Serve hot over pasta.

• 2 tbsp. butter
• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. unsmoked bacon, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely sliced
• 1 stick celery, finely sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped finely

• 12 oz. lean ground beef
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2/3 c. red wine
• 1/2 c. milk
• 14 oz. can plum tomatoes, chopped with juice
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

Heat the butter and oil in a heavy saucepan or earthenware pot. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat for 3 - 4 minutes. Add the bacon and cook until the onion is translucent. Stir in the carrot, celery and garlic. Cook 3 - 4 minutes more.

Add the beef and crumble it into the vegetables with a fork. Stir until the meat loses it's red colour. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour in the wine, raise the heat slightly and cook until the liquid evaporates, 3 - 4 minutes. Add the milk and cook until it evaporates.

Stir in the tomatoes with their juice and the herbs. Bring the sauce to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve hot over pasta.

• 14 oz. spaghetti
• 6 tbsp. olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped

• 4 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• salt and pepper to taste
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Drop the spaghetti into a large pan of rapidly boiling salted water.

In a large frying pan heat the oil and gently saute the garlic until it is barely golden. Do not let it brown or it will taste bitter. Stir in the parsley. Season with salt & pepper. Remove from heat until the pasta is ready.

Drain the pasta when it is barely al dente. Tip it into the pan with the oil and garlic and cook together for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring well to coat the spaghetti with the sauce. Serve at once.

• 1 lb. red and yellow peppers (2 large ones)
• 6 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 4 cups fusilli or other short pasta
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Place the peppers under a hot grill and turn occasionally until they are black and blistered on all sides. Remove from the heat and place in a paper bag for about 5 minutes.

Peel the peppers. Cut them into quarters, remove the stems and seeds and slice into thin strips. Bring a large pot of water to the boil.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until it is translucent, 5 - 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.

Add the salt and the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.

Meanwhile, add the peppers to the onions and mix together gently. Stir in about 3 tbsp. of the pasta cooking water. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in parsley.

Drain the pasta. Tip it into the pan with the vegetables and cook over moderate heat for about 3 - 4 minutes stirring constantly to mix the pasta and the sauce. Serve with the Parmesan cheese.

• 2 lb. fresh clams in their shells, or 12 oz can of clams with their juice
• 6 tbsp. olive oil
• 14 oz tomatoes, fresh or canned, very finely chopped

• 12 oz. linguini
• 4 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Scrub and rinse the clams well under cold running water. Place them in a large saucepan with a cupful of water and heat until the clams begin to open. Lift each clam out as soon as it opens and scopp it out of its shell using a small spoon. Place in a bowl.

If the clams are large, chop them into 2 or 3 pieces. Reserve any liquids from the shells in a separate bowl. When all the clams have opened (discard any that do not open) pour the cooking liquids into the juices from the clams and strain them through a piece of paper towel to remove any sand. If using canned clams, use the liquid from the can.

Bring a large pan of water to a boil for the pasta. Place the olive oil in a medium saucepan with the garlic. Cook over medium heat until the garlic is golden. Do not brown as the garlic will taste bitter.

Remove the garlic and discard. Add the chopped tomatoes to the oil and pour in the clam liquid. Mix well and cook over low to moderate heat until the sauce begins to dry out and thicken slightly. Add salt and pasta to the boiling water.

A minutes or two before the pasta is ready to be drained, stir the parsley and the clams into the tomato sauce and raise the heat. Add some freshly ground black papper and taste for seasoning. Drain the pasta and turn it into a serving bowl. Pour on the hot sauce and mix well before serving.