Ingredients
• 2 red peppers, quartered and deseeded
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 large carrot, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• ¼ tsp crushed chillies
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 600ml vegetable stock
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• Small handful basil leaves, shredded
• 400g pasta, cooked
Method
• Heat the grill and pop the peppers, skin-side up, underneath for 10 minutes or until beginning to char. Transfer to a bowl, cover and set aside. When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and cut the flesh into strips.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the fennel, onion and carrot for 8-10 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic, crushed chillies, fennel seeds and tomato purée, cook for 2 minutes, then add the canned tomatoes, stock and sugar. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are completely soft.
• Take out a couple of spoonfuls of the sauce (this will later add texture), then blend the rest in the saucepan until almost smooth with a stick blender. Simmer for 5 minutes to thicken, then stir in the reserved sauce, shredded basil and peppers. Serve with the pasta.