"Villager's" orecchiette pasta is a very simple dish which can be made in a few minutes and requires no great culinary skill. The flavours that develop are those of the home - good, honest, old-fashioned flavours which depend on the freshness of the ingredients used. Open the fridge and use only the freshest seasonal vegetables you have. The result will be tasty and colourful, and this recipe, in all its simplicity, will become one of the most popular of your weekly menu. Don't forget to add character and even more flavour to your villager's orecchiette by sprinkling over some grated Puglian cacioricotta cheese.

Cut all the vegetables into medium sized chunks and fry them in a dash of extra virgin olive oil, keeping the heat reasonably high so that the vegetables don't become too mushy. Adjust for salt and add some basil leaves. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water, then add the orecchiette to the vegetable sauce. Finish by sprinkling with a generous helping of cacioricotta cheese.