I make delicious five-ingredient pasta every week – ready in 20 and perfect for autumn

I would gladly eat pasta every single night of the week if I could. The sheer range of possibilities is endless when it comes to a packet of pasta, and I have spent years attempting to create the perfect sauces that can match something you would find in your favourite Italian restaurant.

However, when it's midweek, I'm exhausted, and I fancy something quick for dinner, there's only one recipe that will do. I haven't purchased a jar of pasta sauce for years simply because it's so straightforward to prepare your own using just five basic ingredients - several of which you'll likely have at home.

You could manage with fewer, but these five combine wonderfully to produce something you'll crave on an autumn evening.

In my opinion, the classics are genuinely the best when it comes to pasta dishes, and you cannot go wrong with tomato as a base. While tins of tomato are incredibly handy to have at home, the fresh, sweet sharpness of quality cherry tomatoes is unmatched.

Once you begin purchasing the ones on the vine, it's difficult to go back. They are slightly more costly, but worth every penny.

Fortunately, the other four ingredients in this recipe are relatively cheap or keep for ages - garlic, cream, red wine vinegar and parmesan. My mum would always make cherry tomato and garlic pasta for me growing up, and I was obsessed.

Over the years, I've been introducing more ingredients, and now I think it tastes perfect. If you enjoy a bit of heat, chilli flakes can be added to the mixture, though this is entirely optional.

This is the pasta dish I prepare most often, and once you've tasted it, you won't want anything else.

Creamy tomato pasta

• Punnet of cherry tomatoes
• Five garlic cloves
• 150ml single cream

The real appeal of this recipe lies in just how minimal the preparation is. Quarter the tomatoes and crush the garlic, boil the kettle, and your prep work is complete.

You don't even need to chop the tomatoes, though I find it helps them break down more effectively. Heat a little oil in a large pan over a medium-low heat and fry the garlic for a minute until aromatic, then add the tomatoes.

It takes roughly 10 minutes for the tomatoes to become beautifully jammy, though you can crush them with the back of a fork to release more juice and prevent anything from catching on the pan.

Next, bring your water to the boil in a saucepan, season it generously with salt, and add your pasta. While you're at it, season your tomatoes with salt as well.

I find rigatoni works best with this sauce, though any shape you prefer will do. Cook enough for two to three people, as this is the quantity the sauce will serve.

Add a splash of red wine vinegar, allow it to cook for a further couple of minutes, then gradually incorporate the cream, stirring between each addition.

At this stage, reduce the heat so the sauce is not bubbling too vigorously. Your pasta should be almost ready, so once it is cooked al dente, drain it — but be sure to set aside a cupful of the cooking water.

Next, add this to the sauce and stir it through, as this will help the sauce stick to the pasta more effectively. Add the 50g of grated Parmesan and combine once more before introducing the pasta.

Gently stir until everything is thoroughly coated, and then it is time to plate up. Divide into three servings — or two if you're really hungry — finish with an extra grating of Parmesan and enjoy.