Christine Capendale has brought out a new cookery book, Meals, in which she shows you how to plan meals for any occasion.
They include lunches, suppers and entertaining ideas that can be whipped up with minimal effort and maximum taste.
Try her recipe for pasta fresca with burrata, a modern take on the classic raw tomato sauce served with penne or spaghetti.
Pasta Fresca with Burrata
Ingredients 400g wholewheat spaghetti or penne pasta
300g mixed red, yellow and green baby tomatoes, quartered and salted
half a red onion, chopped finely
4 radishes, chopped finely
125ml (half a cup) of black olives, pitted, drained and halved
60ml (quarter of a cup) fresh basil, chopped
60ml (quarter of a cup) fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
50ml olive oil
15ml (1 tablespoon) red wine vinegar or lemon juice
Peel of 1 lemon finely grated or zested
5ml (1 teaspoon) sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
250ml (1 cup) baby spinach
Burrata to serve (or any soft mozzarella cheese like bocconcini or fior di latte)
60ml (quarter cup) basil pesto or sun-dried tomato pesto Method
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water with salt until al dente.
Place the tomato, onion, radish, olives, parsley and basil in a bowl and mix.
Mix the garlic, oil, vinegar, lemon zest, sugar, salt and pepper in another bowl.
Mix the tomato and oil mixtures together.
Drain the al dente pasta and return it to the pot. Add the cold tomato mixture and the baby spinach to the hot pasta.
Mix well and dish into big individual pasta bowls.
Top with bite-size pieces of burrata (shred or tear with your hands) and pesto and serve. Meals by Christine Capendale is published by NB and retails for around R325.