Cockle pasta

Ingredients

400 g	Pasta, (egg noodles or spaghetti, fresh or dried) (Main)
20 ml	Extra virgin olive oil
100 g	Onions, diced
2	Garlic cloves, chopped
2 cans	Chopped tomatoes, (400g each)
1	Bay leaf
½ tsp	Salt
1	Lemon, zested
2 tsp	Extra virgin olive oil
200 ml	White wine
10 g	Flat leaf (Italian) parsley, chopped
1 kg	Cockles, cleaned (Main)
20	Basil leaves
1 to taste	Salt & freshly ground pepper
60 g	Parmesan cheese, (optional)

Directions

1. Place a medium-sized pot on a medium heat and add first measure of oil.
2. When oil is sufficiently heated add onion and garlic and sweat together without colouring for a few minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaf and cook for a further 10 minutes.
3. While tomato sauce is simmering, place pasta in the large pot of boiling water.
4. Season water with salt and second measure of oil and cook for 10 minutes if using dried pasta, or for 6 minutes if fresh until pasta is al dente.
5. Drain pasta and add a little more olive oil, lemon zest and salt and pepper to taste.
6. Place white wine and cockles in another pot on a high heat. Place lid on pot and bring to a rapid boil. Cook for 2-3 minutes until cockles open.
7. Add cockles and basil to tomato sauce, discarding any cockles that do not open.
8. To serve, place the pasta on a suitable large platter. Pour over the cockles and tomato sauce and garnish with parsley.
9. Great accompanied by crusty bread and parmesan.