Quick tomato and pasta to beat a cold

This recipe was made to deal with the sudden and urgent need for some dinner on a day where someone seemed on the verge of coming down with a cold. I opted for a garlic cure for this, in the hope it would turn it around. Or, if nothing else, would help everyone else not get the cold too! Since it was a spur of the moment situation, I delved into store cupboard to find the ingredients. Of course, you might need to modify it a little, depending on what you keep in your store cupboard! Alternatively, if you do not have such a concept, I highly recommend starting one. Then you can quickly produce nice food without having to leave the house.

You will need:

2 shallots, finely sliced

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (adjust according to your taste – and any lingering colds!)

1 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp tomato puree

1 tsp dried oregano

Pinch of ground cayenne

Salt and pepper

1-2 dl boiling water

400 g spaghetti

1 tbsp capers (optional, but recommended for both taste and colour)

100 g large peeled, but raw prawns (optional; can be defrosted quickly from freezer in some cold water)

Fry the shallots and garlic in the oil over medium high heat. When soft, add the tomato puree, and the spices/herbs and cook for a further 3 min. Then add the boiling water a little at a time, until the sauce is suitably saucy – still thick, but not too thick. Cook for a further 5-10 min., to get rid of the raw tomato taste, while the pasta cooks. If you are using the prawns add these to the sauce 2-3 min before the pasta is cooked. Add the capers to the sauce just before serving. Mix the sauce and spaghetti and serve hot!