Feta, Tomato & Pepper Penne

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pepper strips and sliced onion and cook 7 minutes, stirring now and then, until the peppers are soft and browned at the edges.

Tip: Let the peppers sit between stirs so they pick up colour instead of steaming.

Stir in the garlic powder, oregano and chili flakes and cook 30 seconds, until fragrant.

Tip: Dried spices scorch fast in hot oil, so have the tomatoes open and ready.

Add the diced tomatoes with their juice, the water, salt and black pepper. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, about 4 minutes.

Tip: Scrape up the browned bits from the pan as the liquid goes in; they flavour the sauce.

Stir in the penne, reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered 12 to 14 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the pasta is tender and the sauce has thickened and clings to it.

Tip: If the pan looks dry before the penne is tender, add a splash of water; if it is soupy, simmer 2 more minutes.

Take the pan off the heat and stir in half the crumbled feta until it softens into the sauce, about 1 minute. Taste and add more salt only if needed; the feta is salty.

Tip: Adding the feta off the heat keeps it creamy instead of grainy.

Spoon into bowls and scatter the rest of the feta over the top with an extra pinch of chili flakes. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for 3 days; reheat with a splash of water in a pan over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until hot.

Tip: Save some of the crumbled feta for the leftovers so each portion still gets a fresh salty topping.