Tuscan Roast Vegetable Penne

While the veggies are roasting, add the penne to the saucepan with the boiling water and cook until ‘al dente’, 10 minutes. Reserve some pasta water (1/2 cup for 2 people / 1 cup for 4 people), then drain the penne and return to the pan. Drizzle with olive oil to prevent sticking and set aside.

TIP: ʻAl dente’ means the pasta is cooked through but has a tiny bit of firmness left in the middle.

While the penne is cooking, zest the lemon (see ingredients list) to get 1/4 tsp for 2 people / 1/2 tsp for 4 people. Pick and finely chop the parsley leaves. Finely chop the garlic (or use a garlic press). Finely grate the Parmesan cheese.

In a large frying pan, heat a good drizzle of olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add the panko breadcrumbs (see ingredients list) and cook, stirring, until golden brown, 3 minutes. Add the lemon zest, parsley and 1/2 the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Transfer to a medium bowl.

TIP: Add more or less lemon zest depending on your taste.

Return the frying pan to a medium-high heat and add the tomato paste, capers (see ingredients list) and the remaining garlic. Cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the chopped tomatoes and some pasta water (1/4 cup for 2 people / 1/2 cup for 4 people). Season with the salt and a pinch of pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add the butter and sugar and cook until melted, 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the roasted veggies, baby spinach leaves and cooked penne.

TIP: Add a dash more pasta water if the sauce looks dry.