This dish is an ideal lunch as the days get hotter and hotter.

 It is extremely simple and the wonderful thing is that varying the quality and origin of the base ingredients will keep the pasta dish tasting different each time.

For example, try butter from the Dolomites, olive oil from Lazio, pasta from Puglia, ricotta made from 'bufala' and pecorino from Sardinia.

Even the salt could be specially sourced in Marsala in Sicily and the basil grown at home.

ingredients

400 grams of Fusilli shaped pasta, 1 piece of garlic, 1 bunch of basil, 150 grams of fresh Tuscan pecorino cheese, 1 tin of tomatoes, grated salty ricotta, olive oil, butter, salt, pepper,

making it

Finely chop the garlic together with the basil before frying it with the oil and butter in a pan on a low heat. Dont overcook.

Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste, and cook for a very brief time to allow the tomatoes to retain their flavour.

Boil the pasta in lots of salty water.

When just the other side of 'al dente', drain and throw it into the pan full of the above sauce.

Add the pecorino which should be cut into very small cubes.

Toss and turn the pasta and sprinkle it with the ricotta.

Add the remaining basil leaves for a final touch.