Penne Puttanesca with Pangritata

To prepare the Pangritata topping

Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the butter in the casserole over a low to medium heat.Add the chopped garlic and fry until it just starts to colour but does not brown.Add the breadcrumbs and continue to fry stirring frequently until all the contents are golden.Stir in the chopped parsley and season with black pepper.Turn out on to a plate or dish and put to one side, uncovered, until required later.Wipe out the casserole dish.

To make the sauce

Heat the 4 tablespoons of olive oil in the casserole over a low to medium heat.Add the chopped garlic and fry gently, without browning.Carefully stir in the tomatoes, tomato puree, olives, anchovies, capers and dried chilli flakes. See Cook's Note 1.Once the contents of the pan have reached a simmer reduce the heat, put on the lid and cook for 5 minutes.Transfer the sauce to a warmed bowl and cover.Wash the casserole.

To cook the pasta

Fill the casserole with lightly salted water and bring to the boil over a medium heat.Add the pasta and cook for 8 minutes until al dente. See Cook's Note 2.Turn off the heat and drain the pasta.

To finish

Return the pasta to the casserole and add the sauce.Over a medium heat gently stir the sauce through the pasta until the contents are piping hot. This will only take a minute or so as the pasta is already hot.Turn off the heat, spoon ½ the prepared pangritata on top of the pasta and sprinkle over some chopped parsley.Serve immediately with the remaining pangritata in a bowl for diners to add at the table.

¼ teaspoon of chilli flakes will give quite a kick. If you prefer a milder version reduce this amount to a pinch. Alternatively you can leave the chilli out all together.Al dente is the stage pasta reaches when it is cooked but still retains some bite. The pasta should be firm but not hard. The salt added to the cooking water helps this.