Pasta with Romano pepper, courgette and black olive sauce is a recipe from Sicily perfect for hot weather; easily digested. It’s a lactovegetarian sauce dripping with the additional flavours of onions, basil, white wine, oregano and ricotta—and a kick of peperoncini if you like your Sicilian spicy. But, it is often served with the addition of pancetta cubes if you want a little meat. Though it’s best slow-cooked, it remains very easy to make.

My father chanced upon this spicy Sicilian spaghetti with scallops in Palermo in the 1960s and it's been a family favourite ever since. It's brimming with flavours—scallops, anchovies, peperoncino, capers, shallots, and more—but takes less than 30 minutes to make. Above all, good quality olive oil is the star. It's a healthy, easy option perfect for hot weather.

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