Probably the best pasta ever - salami and fennel!

I was craving pasta. Bryony always loves pasta. This is our interpretation of Jamie Oliver's Pasta with Salami and Fennel from Happy Days. We both love ricotta cheese, so here it is. Super super delicious. Honestly my new favourite pasta. It sounds wintery - but we ate it on a 35C day and it was perfect. Please make this. You will love it. We served it with a really nice gourmet tagliatelle. Fettucine would also be good. Use a nice egg pasta - it is worth the extra $3.

150g good spicy Italian salami, cut into soldiers

4 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle

2 small bulbs of fennel, finely sliced, green frilly tops reserved for garnish

1/2 onion, finely sliced

2 x tins of canned tomatoes (we used one whole tomatoes, one of my favourite canned cherry tomatoes)

Good glug of white wine

1 dried chilli, crumbed

Salt and pepper

Big handful of basil, sliced

Put the salami into a cold pan and bring it up to temperature with a good glug of olive oil. This will allow the fat to render. Cook until delicious and crispy. Lower the heat and add the sliced garlic and fennel seeds. Cook for 1 minute over a low heat. Add the fennel and onion and stir. Put the lid on the pan and increase the heat a bit. Cook until the fennel starts to caramelise - about 5 minutes. Add the wine and then the canned tomatoes and the chilli. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until nice and thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Before serving stir through a generous handful of sliced basil. Top with big dollops of the ricotta and then the pangrattato. Garnish with the reserved fennel sprigs.

Herbed Ricotta

400g tub of ricotta

Zest of one lemon

Handful of basil, sliced

Small handful of mint, sliced

Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Season very well with salt and pepper. Tweak the quantity of lemon so it is nice and sour.

Pangrattato

Large handful of fresh breadcrumbs made from a good sourdough or ciabatta

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Head up a good tbsp or so of olive oil in a pan. Add the bread, salt and pepper and toss well to coat. Cook until the bread is nice and golden.