Jools' Pregnant Pasta - sausage and fennel

This is my ultimate in comfort food. I am a pasta fiend and given the chance (and the metabolism) would eat it for every meal. It is taken from Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute Meals. His wife Jools craved this when pregnant and, having a bun in the oven myself, I completely understand. It is delicious - meaty, sweet and tangy yet with a subtle heat from the chilli and fragrant warmth from the fennel..... okay, okay I'm not going to get a job writing for Masterchef anytime soon but you get the picture.....

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 4 spring onions
• 1 carrot
• 1 stick of celery
• 1-2 fresh red chillies
• 1 x 6-pack of good-quality sausages (approx. 400g)
• 1 heaped teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 500g dried penne
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• A few sprigs of Greek basil, or regular basil

 - Trim the spring onions, carrot and celery. Roughly chop all the vegetables, then blitz in the food processor with the chillies (stalks removed). Add the sausages, 1 heaped teaspoon of fennel seeds and 1 teaspoon of oregano. Keep pulsing until well mixed, then spoon this mixture into the hot frying pan with a lug of olive oil, breaking it up and stirring as you go. Keep checking on it and stirring while you get on with other jobs. Put a large deep saucepan on a low heat and fill with boiled water. Fill and reboil the kettle.

- Top up the saucepan with more boiled water if needed. Season well then add the penne and cook according to packet instructions, with the lid askew.

- Crush 4 unpeeled cloves of garlic into the sausage mixture and stir in 4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and the tinned tomatoes. Add a little of the starchy cooking water from the pasta to loosen if needed.

- Drain the pasta, reserving about a wineglass worth of the cooking water. Tip the pasta into the pan of sauce and give it a gentle stir, adding enough of the cooking water to bring it to a silky consistency. Taste, correct the seasoning, then tip into a large serving bowl and take straight to the table with the rest of the Parmesan for grating over. Scatter over a few basil leaves.