Pesto & tomato pasta with crispy crumbs

Lets go make the pesto & tomato pasta with crispy crumbs

 Ingredients

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 2 tsp sugar
• 190g jar basil pesto
• few capers or olives (optional)
• 140g white bread - stale or fresh, whizzed into crumbs (or 140g/5oz breadcrumbs)
• 50g pine nuts, roughly chopped
• 4 tbsp grated parmesan, or vegetarian alternative (optional)
• 25g butter
• 350g/12oz-400g/14oz linguine, spaghetti, tagliatelle or whatever you have in the cupboard

Method

1. Gently cook the onion and half the garlic in 2 tbsp olive oil for 10 mins until soft. Stir in the tomatoes and sugar and simmer for 15-20 mins until saucy. Stir in half the pesto, some seasoning and a few capers or olives, if you have them. Cover and keep warm.
2. While the sauce is simmering, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Toss the crumbs in a large baking tray with the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, the rest of the garlic, the pine nuts and Parmesan, if Simple yet special storecupboard supper using. Bake for 10 mins, stirring a few times, until golden. Dot over the butter and return to the oven for 2 mins more.
3. Meanwhile, bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta. Drain, reserving a little cooking water. Stir through the sauce with a splash of cooking water to loosen, if you need to, ripple through the remaining pesto and serve scattered with golden crumbs.