Baked pasta cake with tomato sauce and sweet and sour onions

1. 1

   To make the onions, place the raisins in a bowl of boiling water and leave to soak. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onions and garlic for around 30 minutes over a very low heat so they do not colour.

2. 2

   Drain the raisins. Add the sugar, vinegar, pine nuts and raisins to the onion pan and cook for a further 5 minutes. Set aside.

3. 3

   To make the tomato sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the garlic and shallots for 5-8 minutes. Add the vinegars followed by the tomatoes, chilli and basil stalks. Simmer until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

4. 4

   To make the pasta cake, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.

5. 5

   Cook the rigatoni in a large pan of salted boiling water according to pack instructions. Drain once al dente.

6. 6

   Place the cooked pasta, the tomato sauce, half of the fontina, 45g/1¾oz Parmesan and half of the herbs into a large bowl and mix well.

7. 7

   Grease a 20cm/8in springform cake tin with the butter. Line all of the tin with the breadcrumbs and layer half of the sweet and sour onions in the base, then add the pasta.

8. 8

   Scatter over the remaining fontina, 45g/1¾oz Parmesan and the remaining sweet and sour onions.

9. 9

   Bake for 30 minutes. Leave to cool a little before turning out.

10. 10

    Garnish with the rest of the fresh herbs, toasted breadcrumbs and the remaining Parmesan.

1 serving ≈ 267 g

Nutrition values are estimates. - means data is unavailable.