Alice Waters suggest first-time food gardeners consider starting with tomatoes. They grow easily and abundantly and can be used fresh in salads and sandwiches, as well as cooked in sauces such as this.

BUCATINI PASTA WITH TOMATO SAUCE WITH BACON AND ONION

Start to finish: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 slices bacon (or pancetta), cut into ¼-inch pieces

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

6 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (or 8 whole canned tomatoes, drained and chopped)

Salt, to taste

12 ounces bucantini pasta (or other long, thin pasta)

In a medium saucepan over medium, heat the oil. Add the bacon and cook until lightly browned and the fat is rendered.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a small bowl and set aside.

To the fat in the pan, add the onion. Saute until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Add the bacon and cook for another two to three minutes.

While the tomatoes cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a serving platter or plates.

Taste the sauce and add salt, if needed. Serve over the pasta.

(Recipe from Alice Waters' "The Art of Simple Food", Clarkson Potter, 2007)

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 474 calories; 101 calories from fat; 11 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 7 mg cholesterol; 78 g carbohydrate; 16 g protein; 7 g fibre; 455 mg sodium.