Recipe: Tomato and Mascarpone Pasta Sauce with Cirio

Earlier this month saw an anniversary for myself and my husband. It’s been 17 years since our first date. It was a nice warm April day (not unlike the few we’ve been enjoying), and I messaged him to suggest we go for a beer. In an attempt to be frugal, he’d left his wallet at home, so yes, I paid.

And, whilst we’ve been back to the pub for a drink since, it got me thinking of our other dates, like the first at my place – the first time I cooked. I admit, at the time I was into cooking a little bit, I had a raft of my mum’s recipes at hand, but I was also on a budget. I’m still not sure how the fuck I managed to pay/get a mortgage back then, but I did. So rice was a staple. So was pasta. Cheap, quick, filling.

So the first thing I cooked for him was pasta with a tomato and mascarpone sauce. Both from the supermarket. Both cheap, filling and tasty. Meaning we could eat and I wouldn’t spend any more of my time in the kitchen than was necessary. I mean, we were still dating.

Fast forward 17 years, and I wanted to revisit that dish, but actually make it from scratch. Take it up a level from the tub in the fridge section of the supermarket. I had a recipe for making mascarpone from my cheese making session at Food Sorcery and, I had a tin of chopped tomatoes from Cirio to hand too. Add in garlic, a small onion and some basil and we were ready to go.

 

The mascarpone is seriously easy to make. Take some double cream (I used a tub of 150ml). Warm it gently in a pan. As soon as it starts to steam, take it off the heat and add 1/4 teaspoon of tartaric acid. It’ll curdle almost immediately. Stir it, til it’s smooth and leave to cool. That’s it. Mascarpone is done.

To the tomatoes, and I’m very glad I had a tin of Cirio chopped tomatoes. They have sent me a few of products to review, including the tinned tomatoes, passata and tomato puree. So far, I’ve used them in a variety of dishes from puttanesca to arrabiata. And from a quality perspective, they are fantastic. They’re perfect for dishes like this where you want the tomatoes to shine, they are effectively the stars of the show. The texture is firm, the canned juice is thick and pulpy – very unlike cheaper brands where it can be watery and you wonder how much the water has been used to bulk out the product.

 

 

From a quality perspective, and a taste perspective, they’re definitely a win. The price does, however, have an impact, and when I can buy a can for 30p, versus these that come in at around 90p – £1 a can. Yeah, it’s going to make me wince if I’m batch cooking. Six tins at £6 versus 6 tins at £1.80. Ouch.

It really does come down to what you want them for. So whilst I love these tomatoes, I’ve had to come to a compromise. I’ll happily use them for the dishes like this one, where the tomatoes really are the stand out ingredients. In a bulk cook of chilli, or bolognese, then I’ll go half way. Balance the richness of Cirio with a cheaper brand. Unless I’m really feeling the pinch, then I’m sorry Cirio, it’s cheaper tomatoes all the way.

 

 

So for this dish, invest a little. The soft acidity of the tomatoes comes through, along with the acidity from the mascarpone. This is balanced with the softness of the basil, and it’s a bit delicious. It’s an easy dish that, especially if you make the mascarpone yourself, gives you immense satisfaction. If you’re feeling really creative, there’s only one more step to add, making your pasta from scratch.

That’s definitely one for me for next time.