Recipe | Caponata Pasta

Following the Italian cookery class I attended with M&S last month, I was gifted a range of delicious Italian produce to recreate my own Italian recipes. Including in my gift bag was a jar of Caponata - a traditional Sicilian antipasto of tender aubergine, leccine olives & capers in a tangy tomato sauce. Although described as an antipasto, I had an idea of adding it to a vegetarian pasta dish I was planning on making, with M&S Fiorelli pasta.Adding a some mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, spinach, fresh basil and pine nuts, with a drop of pesto and a base of onion, garlic and chilli, I have to say, this dish turned our really well! The flavours of the caponata were fantastic and the fiorelli was super tender.Very happy with how it turned out and will definitely make it again, and try out more of Marks and Spencer's fantastic Italian range of produce.Ingredients (serves 2):

• 50g spinach
• 100g M&S Fiorelli
• 1 brown onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• 1 chilli, diced
• 6-8 cup mushrooms, quartered
• 1 courgette, sliced
• 8-10 cherry tomatoes
• 3 tbsp M&S Caponata
• 3 tbsp pesto
• 8-10 fresh basil leaves
• Pine nuts

Method:

1. Begin by placing the spinach in two pasta bowls, creating a bed for your pasta.
2. Place your pasta in a large pan, covered in water, bring to the boil and simmer following packet instructions.
3. Add a drop of oil to a frying pan and fry off your onion for a minute or two, until the onion has browned slightly.
4. Add the garlic, chilli, mushrooms, courgette and cherry tomatoes and continue to fry on a low heat.
5. Once cooked, drain your pasta and add to the frying pan with the caponata and pesto. Tear in some basil leaves, season with salt and pepper and stir together well.
6. Serve on top of your spinach, seasoning with a little more pepper and a sprinkle of extra basil and lots of pine nuts.