Tomato & Pepper Pasta

Ingredients 150 g fresh, tomato pasta* 150 g fresh, pepper pasta 1 tblsp olive oil ½ onion, finely chopped 6 large mushrooms, roughly chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed 150 g prosciutto**, chopped 1 cup creme fraîche 60 g Parmesan, freshly grated 3 tomatoes, de-seeded and chopped 1 stick celery, chopped ¼ cup roughly chopped basil leaves 2 tblsp garlic chives, cut into short lengths ¼ cup chopped parsley cracked peppercorns salt *Fresh, flavoured pasta can be obtained from delicatessens or supermarkets, and comes in a variety of flavours. Try combining two flavours, such as tomato and pepper. It requires less cooking time than dried pasta. It's also fun to make your own! **Prosciutto is an unsmoked, salted, air-cured ham. It is used in cooked dishes, or thinly sliced and served as part of an antipasto platter. It is also popular wrapped around melon and served as a starter.

Method Boil the fresh, flavoured pasta* for 8 minutes in a large pan of salted, boiling water (boil according to instructions if using dried, packaged pasta). When 'al dente', drain in a colander, and rinse with cold water. Set aside until ready to combine with the sauce. Add the olive oil to a wide-based, non metallic sauce pan and, when hot, add the onions and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, or until softened. Add the prepared tomatoes, celery, prosciutto and mushrooms, and cook for a further 3 minutes. Add the creme fraîche, basil, chives, parsley, ¼ of the grated Parmesan, salt and a generous amount of freshly cracked black peppercorns. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss well to thoroughly combine. Serve in a large pasta bowl, with the remainder of the Parmesan and the roughly chopped basil sprinkled over the top. Enjoy with warm bread, such as garlic or focaccia. *Whether using fresh or packaged pasta, try combining different flavours, such as tomato and pepper.