Tomato and mascarpone pasta sauce

This is what we had for lunch today, much to the delight of the children. It tasted delicious and was so easy to make. And being liquidised-left no bits for the children to leave behind. The mushrooms give a certain texture when liquidised (which I love), so if you're no fan, try substituting yellow pepper, courgette or cauliflower. Mascarpone is something not everyone uses in cooking. It may seem a waste to buy a whole tub just for one recipe, but try planning in two recipes in your weeks shopping not to waste it. The mascarpone I used today was the leftovers from my meatloaf, and although the packaging says use within 3 days of opening, the cheese was perfectly fresh and delicious 10 days later!


1 tbsp olive oil
1 small brown onion
2 medium sized carrots
1 garlic clove
100 ml boiled water
1 vegetable stock cube
1 tin chopped tomatoes
3 good sized fresh mushrooms
5 sundried tomatoes
10 black olives
5 fresh basil leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
dash of white pepper
5 tbsp mascarpone


Dissolve the stock cube in 100ml boiled water. Chop onion, peel carrots and cut in half lengthways, then slice thinly. Sauté onions for 2 minutes, then add carrot, stock and a garlic clove crushed with a garlic press. Put a lid on the pan and turn to low-medium heat. Let boil for 8-10 minutes. Chop mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, olives and basil leaves. Add chopped tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients except for the mascarpone, give it a stir and bring back to the boil for 5-10 minutes for the flavours to mingle. Liquidise with a hand blender (sometimes it's easier to transfer to a deeper pot or jug). When the sauce is of a smooth texture, add mascarpone and stir until melted. Serve with pasta.