Kitchen newbies, do not despair

I've just realised something quite startling - I haven't cooked pasta in months. This rather humdrum fact may not seem particularly noteworthy but I'm tingling all over with pride and a sense of accomplishment. This is a momentous turning point in my adventure with food; it might just be safe to say that I have progressed from complete kitchen novice to something of an amateur cook.

This may not be true for everyone but pasta dishes are a pretty common starting place for the kitchen newbie. Quick, easy, cheap and versatile, pasta is the perfect staple with which to develop simple cooking skills without accidentally topping yourself off. Of course, there are many pasta-based dishes that are complex and technical. But, there is plenty of scope for those of us that find boiling a pot of salted water a challenge.

I began my cooking endeavours with pasta dishes and did not really divert from this path for quite a few years thanks to my mum who convinced me that I would cause great bodily harm to myself if I dared to attempt cooking meat or fish (all the while tempting me over to her home with succulent chicken drumsticks coated in a deliciously crispy coating).

However, I long harboured a deep desire to experiment with other cuisines. I desperately missed eating rice (the primary food staple of my childhood that took me an embarassingly long time to master how to cook) and had unintentionally become semi-vegetarian. In the end, I think that my stomach rebelled at the monotony of my diet and drove me to risk death by salmonella poisoning. I'm not sure how or when it happened but my diet completely changed. Now, it is unrecognisable; I eat everything but pasta. And, much to my mum's discomfort, I cook meat! More importantly, I survive.

The moral of my story is that if I can do it, anyone can. Kitchen newbies, do not despair - there is light at the end of the tunnel. Stick with the pasta and it will eventually take you to great culinary heights. I am actually looking forward to the day that I miss and crave pasta because that will mean I get to try a recipe from the newest member of my cookbook collection; The Silver Spoon, Italy's bestselling cookbook for over 50 years.

For now, here is a recipe for the ultimate pasta dish since a) it contains both meat and vegetables, b) it's fairly straightforward and easy to make and c) it doesn't take too long that it becomes a chore but is sufficiently long enough to make you feel like a 'real cook'.

Recipe:

Serves 4

Finely chop one small onion, one peeled carrot and one stick of celery (I use a mini food processor). Heat 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan. When sizzling, add the vegetables and cook over a medium heat for 3-4 mins. Add 150g minced pork and cook gently for 2-3 mins, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up any lumps. Lower the heat and cook for a further 2-3 mins, stirring frequently. Add 4 tbsp dry white wine, 400g canned chopped plum tomatoes, a few fresh basil leaves, salt to taste and plenty of pepper. Bring to the boil and stir. Then, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 40 mins stirring from time to time.

In the meantime, cook penne pasta in boiling salted water (I use fresh penne pasta, which only takes 6 mins to cook). Prior to straining, add a ladleful of the cooking water to the sauce. Check the seasoning of sauce and adjust accordingly. Strain the pasta and add to the sauce, tossing well. Serve immediately with shaved parmesan cheese on top.