Ingredients (serves 4)

• 400ml passata
• 1 brown onion
• 2 tbs mixed herbs (or oregano/basil - whatever's kicking around your pantry)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 red capsicum
• pinch salt (to taste)
• pinch pepper (to taste)
• 2 tbs tomato paste
• 50ml red wine
• 310ml beef/chicken/veg stock OR water
• 250g frozen meatballs (homemade or store bought will work)
• 1tsp paprika
• olive oil
• 200g pasta of your choosing (I used farfalle)

Method

1. Add a good glug of olive oil to your pan (or inner pot the Philips All-in-One). Saute diced onion, herbs, garlic, diced capsicum and tomato paste on high for five minutes. Stir occasionally.
2. Add red wine and saute for a further minute (or two). Red wine is optional - It adds flavour to the sauce but can easily be omitted. Just make sure you substitute with 50ml extra stock or water in Step 5.
3. Add passata and turn to low saute for a few minutes. Be aware, your sauce will 'spit' so watch out! I rest the lid of my Philips on top of the machine with a small gap to let the steam escape.
4. Add frozen meatballs. Fresh ones work too but they need to be sauteed and sealed on the outside before adding to your sauce. I tend to make big batches of meatballs, cook them and then freeze them in Ziploc bags for quick weeknight dinners but ready-made meatballs in the frozen section of the supermarket are easier. And sometimes, easier is better.
5. Add stock or water. If you use water, add your salt here too. But omit the salt if you use stock. Stock gives the sauce a deeper flavour but water is cheaper!
6. On a Philips All-in-One, set the STEW function for 30 minutes. This recipe works really well on the stew function, as the sauce ends up thick and rich. However, if you're pressed for time, you can use a pressure cooker on high for 5 - 7 minutes. You can adjust this slightly depending on the pasta you choose for the recipe. Spaghetti takes a little less time, penne usually more time.
7. Garnish with a bit of parmesan, grated cheese or whatever you've got in the fridge. I used ricotta with a few parsley flakes sprinkled across the top. Enjoy.

Notes

Turn this into a pasta bolognese recipe by substituting 250g beef mince for meatballs. Add mince at the end of Step One and brown for a few minutes before moving on to Step Two.