Cherry Tomato and Lime Pasta

Serves 4

Ingredients

• Ripe cherry tomatoes, halved: enough to cover your pan
• 1 large elephant garlic clove
• 12 sage leaves
• Pitted black favarol olives, drained
• Good fresh olive oil
• 1 egg
• Parmesan, grated
• Juice of 1 or 2 limes
• Coarse ground black pepper
• Sea salt flakes
• Balsamic vinegar
• Tubular pasta; penne, rigatoni or similar - a generous handful per serving

Method

Cover the bottom of a wide, flat pan with a generous layer of the olive oil. Shave the fresh garlic into paper-thin flakes, spread them across the pan and turn up to a moderate heat. Tear the sage leaves and put them in with the garlic. Let them and the garlic crisp but not brown. Turn off the heat, cut the tomatoes in half and put in the hot oil cut-side up. Sprinkle with pepper, salt and drizzle with the vinegar. Let the tomatoes sit for half an hour.

Bring very salty water to the boil and cook the pasta. While the pasta is cooking, turn the heat to low under the tomatoes: the heat should be just enough to make the tomatoes begin to ooze their juice into the pan. Add the olives.

Whisk the egg with a handful of grated parmesan and the lime juice. When the pasta is al dente, drain quickly.

Tumble the tomatoes into the sauce and mix in the hot pasta. Mix in the egg, parmesan and lime juice. Serve with a scattering of parmesan.