Cherry tomato pasta is delicious with almost any dry pasta shape. Pick your favourite then boil 5L water in a large pot before prepping the sauce.

Remove cherry tomatoes from the vine and cut each one in half.

Put the pan on your stove at a medium heat and drizzle 4-5 tablespoons EVOO before adding the cherry tomatoes and leaving them to simmer.

Crush the garlic for your cherry tomato pasta and add to the pan.

Mix the garlic through using a spatula or wooden spoon.

Your pasta water should now have come to the boil, add a tablespoon of rock salt, mix through and add your pasta. This should be cooked according to packet instructions – follow the al dente timing for a more authentic texture.

The tomatoes should now have started to release some of their juices. Gently press down on them so that even more juice is released and the sauce really infuses with the garlic.

Once the tomato skin is nice and wrinkled and a beautiful sauce has formed, add a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Season to your liking.

Get a mug and scoop up some pasta water, pouring half of it into your sauce. Stir it into the sauce then add more as you need it – especially if you have made extra for more than 2 people.

Next add a generous amount of fresh basil leaves to your cherry tomato pasta sauce, breaking them with your hands or leaving them whole. Mix again!

Once the pasta has boiled, strain it and add it to your pan, then mix it all through and scoop up another cup full of pasta water leaving it to the side.

Stir the pasta through the sauce and once it is mixed well, add mascarpone cheese and let it melt into the cherry tomato pasta, helping it along by adding some pasta water as you go.

Follow this with a generous handful of pecorino cheese and mix well until you get a creamy consistency – if it’s not quite there, add a small amount of pasta water at a time and continue to mix.

E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’s Plate….Enjoy!