Don't let the amount of garlic in this scare you, it really didn't taste ridiculously garlicky even though it was. It is however quite spicy.

Ingredients
24 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
100ml olive oil
1 tsp ground fennel
1 tbsp chilli flakes
2 x 400g chopped Italian tomatoes drained
2 tbsps tomato puree
1-2 tsp sugar
100ml red wine
1 chicken or vegetable stock pot
1 tsp pepper
Salt to taste
500g penne pasta
40g parmesan

Method
Cook the garlic in the olive oil for around 10 minutes over a medium heat until the garlic and oil are fragrant but the garlic has not taken on any colour.  If it does start to go golden, reduce the heat.

Add the fennel and chilli flakes and cook for around 30 seconds.  Add the tomatoes, tomato puree 1 tsp of sugar, the red wine, the stock pot and black pepper and stir.  Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to medium/low and cook with the lid on for 30 minutes, stirring from time to time.

When the sauce has only 5 minutes to go, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to the boil and when boiling add your penne and cook according to packet instructions.

Meanwhile, blitz the sauce either with a handheld blender or processor until it is smooth, check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.  Put back into the saucepan.

When the penne is cooked, drain and put into the sauce, stirring everything to ensure all the pasta is coated.

Serve with grated parmesan and a touch of freshly ground black pepper.