Roasted red pepper sauce with olives

Really good-quality olives add a whole new dimension to everyday pasta sauce. If you are trying to minimise your dairy intake, they also add excitement without having to add a thick layer of cheese. This source is succulent, with a bit of tang.

Ingredients

1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 courgette, chopped into approx 1-inch pieces
3 or 4 cloves garlic, chopped small
3 large tomatoes, chopped small
5 small orange tomatoes, quartered (optional)
2 red or orange peppers
15-20 Real Olive Co olives (black or green, plain or with herbs), sliced thick
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper or ground chilli pepper

Method

Put the peppers in the oven on 160C (fan) and roast for 20 minutes whilst you get on with the next part. Put half a cup of water in a heavy-based pan and heat until the water is steaming. You can also add a knob of butter here, and/or a tablespoon of light or pure olive oil.

Cook the onion for around five minutes, then add the rest of the vegetables and the seasoning, but not the olives. If you don’t have time to roast the peppers you can add them now. Cook on a moderate heat, stirring regularly, for about 15 minutes, then simmer, with the lid on, for a further 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are as soft as you want them to be.

When the sauce is ready, add the olives and heat through. Take off the heat, add a glug of extra-virgin olive oil, and stir through. Serve with pasta, spaghetti, quinoa, baked potato, or courgetti – or anything else you like.