Tagliatelle di Loro (serves 2)

This is a favorite recipe with a friend of mine.

Ingredients:

• 300g-500g dried Tagliatelle pasta
• A quantity of cherry tomatoes, halved
• A can of artechoke hearts in water, drained and halved
• The torn up leaves of half a basil plant
• Two crushed cloves of garlic
• About eight crushed peppercorns
• A little olive oil or Frylight for frying
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Start cooking the pasta as per the instructions on the pack.
2. Meanwhile, start frying the artechokes over a fairly high heat. Turn them over frequently.
3. When the artechokes start to brown, add the tomatoes, garlic and pepper.
4. Add the basil to the sauce when the pasta is about to be cooked.
5. When the pasta is cooked, drain it and stir in the sauce.

As a variation, I sometimes fish the artichoke hearts from a small jar of the fancy artichoke hearts in oil antipasto instead of using the tinned kind. The artichokes retain a lot of the oil, so I don't add any extra for frying.