PASTE TOMATOES RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Put the flour and 1 teaspoon of sea salt into a large bowl and make a well in the middle. In a jug, mix the yeast into 300ml of lukewarm water, then gradually pour it into the well, stirring and bringing in the flour from the outside to form a dough.
  2. Knead on a flour-dusted surface for 10 minutes, or until smooth and springy. Place back in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to prove in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
  3. Meanwhile, destone the olives and peel the garlic (if using), and then pound with the sun-dried tomatoes into a rough paste in a pestle and mortar. Add most of the basil leaves and a small pinch of salt, and bash again until you have a paste. Finely grate in most of the Parmesan, add a big pinch of black pepper, then muddle in 4 tablespoons of olive oil.
  4. On a lightly floured surface, divide the bread into 2 equal pieces, then roll and stretch out into 2 identical circles roughly about 28cm wide. (If you want to be super-neat you can cut around a dinner plate for a perfect circle shape.) Place one of the circles on a lined baking sheet, then spread the olive paste all over the dough right to the edge, then tear over the mozzarella. Cover with the other circle and press down lightly to seal.
  5. Position a jam jar, or something similar, in the centre, and then carefully make 12 evenly spaced cuts, starting from near the glass all the way out to the edge.
  6. One by one, pick up each piece of bread and twist 3 times before laying neatly back down on the tray, poke in the remaining basil leaves in and around where you can, then cover lightly with a damp cloth and leave to prove again in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
  7. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5. When the bread is ready, finely grate over the remaining cheese and drizzle over a little olive oil, then gently place in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden.
  8. Leave to rest for 15 minutes before tucking in.

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium high. Add shallots and thinly sliced garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots have become totally softened and caramelized with golden-brown fried edges, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add red-pepper flakes and anchovies. (No need to chop the anchovies; they will dissolve on their own.) Stir to melt the anchovies into the shallots, about 2 minutes.
• Add tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly to prevent any scorching, until the tomato paste has started to cook in the oil a bit, caramelizing at the edges and going from bright red to a deeper brick red color, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer about half the mixture to a resealable container, leaving the rest behind. (These are your leftovers to be used elsewhere: in another batch of pasta or smeared onto roasted vegetables, spooned over fried eggs or spread underneath crispy chicken thighs.)
• To serve, cook pasta according to package instructions in a large pot of salted boiling water until very al dente (perhaps more al dente than usual). Transfer to Dutch oven with remaining shallot mixture (or a skillet if you are using the leftover portion) and 1 cup pasta water. Cook over medium-high heat, swirling the skillet to coat each piece of pasta, using a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any bits on the bottom, until pasta is thick and sauce has reduced and is sticky, but not saucy, 3 to 5 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine parsley and finely chopped garlic clove, and season with flaky salt and pepper. Divide pasta among bowls, or transfer to one large serving bowl, and top with parsley mixture and a bit more red-pepper flakes, if you like.