Spicy Tomato Pasta

As a student, and a part-time worker, I know how difficult it can be to get a good meal that is low in both costs and calories. Rather than calling that Chinese that you so love, I have here a quick and easy recipe that shouldn’t cost any more than £5 ($8) to make, and tastes great!

Ingredients:

• One bowlful of penne pasta
• 1/4 tin of condensed tomato soup
• Two teaspoons of butter/margarine
• Any form of salami, such as Pepperami or a cheap supermarket variation
• Salt and pepper
• A medium-sized pot and lid
• One large tablespoon

Procedure:

1. Depending on how much pasta you want, measure it out. I usually take a medium-sized bowl and half-fill it. Remember, your pasta will swell during cooking, so don’t put too much on. Sprinkle some salt onto the bottom of your pot, and add in the pasta. Fill the pot with boiling water so that it covers all of your pasta. Leave to simmer for ten minutes.
2. While you wait for your pasta to cook, take your salami product. Now, this is where I cheat and use a really good German chorizo, but it works just as well with Pepperami or a cheap supermarket equivalent. Take about three slices of chorizo or half of your Pepperami stick and dice it. Leave this sitting to the side; we’ll use it later.
3. When your pasta is cooked, drain any remaining water, and put the pasta back into the pot. Sit it on a heatproof surface. Take your tin of condensed tomato soup and place three heaped tablespoonfuls in the pot with your pasta. Mix around until all of the pasta is coated, and then add one more tablespoon, along with your margarine and your salami. Mix until everything is fully covered.
4. Place your pasta into a bowl, and add pepper to taste. If you’re feeling adventurous, or have guests round, and a sprig of parsley or rocket onto the top to garnish.

And there you have it! I cook my pasta very al dente, so it only usually takes me about ten or fifteen minutes to make this, and it’s really simple. And the best part? It tastes fab!