Recipe By Robin Ellis

Unexpected ingredients for a pasta dish but it works. You can use tinned or fresh tomatoes, but fresh and ripe are better. Anna del Conte says it comes from Umbria.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 450 g/1 pound tomatoes, chopped with some of their juice
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• 10 fresh bay leaves
• Salt and pepper
• 400 g/14 ounce wholewheat spaghettini

Directions

1. Using a large frying pan, sauté the onion in the oil until it softens, don't brown it.

2. Add the tomatoes, the cinnamon and the bay leaves. Season well and cook gently for about 20 minutes.

3. Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted water. Test for doneness and drain, retaining a little of the water.

4. Transfer the pasta to the frying pan, adding a couple of tablespoons of the water. Turn it over and mix well and cook for a minute or two. This is usually served without cheese, but that's up to you.