My daughter eats everything. To keep her on her toes, I am trying out new dishes every chance I get. Thing is, I don’t have a lot of time.

I just put together a pasta sauce with stuff we had in the fridge and pantry and it only took a little while longer to prepare than the time required to cook the pasta. She devoured it as if she hadn’t eaten in a month.

Ready

• ¼ lb minced pork
• ⅓ tin of tomatoes
• 1 shallot (finely minced)
• 1 garlic clove (finely minced)
• A pinch of dried herbs (I used oregano and basil)
• Spoonful of oyster sauce
• A squirt of tomato paste
• Pinch of sugar
• Choice of pasta
• Olive oil
• Knob of butter

Set

• Skillet
• Pan (for pasta)

Go

1. Heat the oil and add the shallots. Over a low flame, sweat for around 3 or 4 minutes. Add a little sugar towards the end to add a little sweetness to the dish (optional, of course).
2. Add the garlic and warm through.
3. Raise the heat a little and fry the pork till it browns a little.
4. Make sure your tomatoes don’t have any indigestible skin remnants (Lucy wouldn’t like that). Mush the tomatoes on a chopping board and add to the pan along with herbs and as much seasoning as you consider acceptable for your child.
5. Cook through for a few minutes and add the tomato paste and oyster sauce.
6. Let it all simmer while the pasta cooks and at the last minute stir in a knob of butter.
7. Sprinkle a little fresh chopped basil or parsley over the dish.