Linguine with Fresh Tomatoes and Artichokes

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and reserve ½ a cup of the cooking water.

Sauce: Halve the tomatoes and slice the artichokes thinly.

Heat the olive oil and add the tomatoes, artichokes, lemon zest and garlic and cook over a medium-low heat for 2 minutes. You want the tomatoes to retain their shape rather than collapse into a sauce. Increase the heat, add the wine or stock and simmer for 2 minutes. Season and stir in the herbs. Add the cooked linguine to the sauce and turn gently to coat, adding some of the reserved cooking water to loosen the sauce if needed.

To serve: Divide between shallow bowls and top with grated Parmesan.

To cook pasta (fresh or dried) successfully: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Generously salt the water just before you add the pasta – this increases the water temperature slightly. Stir the pasta and allow the water to come back to the boil. Stir again – there is no need to add oil to the water. The water should be kept at a rolling boil throughout the cooking.

Taste for doneness – there should be a slight firmness to the bite (‘al dente’). Fresh pasta may take only 2-3 minutes. Dried can take up to 12 minutes. Drain immediately and toss with the sauce. A little of the cooking water can be used to lighten the sauce, which  should cling to the pasta (not pool in the bottom of the bowl). Heat the serving bowl beforehand as pasta cools quickly.