Preheat your oven to 200°C and bring a large saucepan of water to the boil with 0.5 tsp of salt. Halve the pepper, remove the core and seeds, thinly slice. Place on a baking tray, drizzle with oil and season with pepper. Toss, spread out in a single layer, roast on the top shelf of your oven until soft and charred, 15 mins. We will add it to the sauce later. Meanwhile, halve, peel and thinly slice the shallot.

Heat a splash of oil in a frying pan on medium-high heat. Fry the bacon lardons until crispy, 3-4 mins. IMPORTANT: Cook the bacon lardons throughout. Stir in the shallot and cook until soft, 3-4 mins, stirring regularly. Add the chopped tomatoes, smoked paprika and stock powder. Stir to dissolve, lower the heat and simmer gently until the sauce is nice and thick, 10-12 mins. TIP: Add a splash of water if the sauce looks a little dry. Add the roasted pepper to the sauce once it's ready.

Meanwhile, add the penne to your pan of boiling water and cook until tender, 12 mins.

While the pasta cooks, peel and grate the garlic (or use a garlic press) and mix with the olive oil (see ingredients for amount). Halve the ciabatta length ways (as if you were making a sandwich) and spoon or brush the garlic oil across the cut sides of the ciabatta. Sprinkle over half the hard Italian cheese then pop on the baking tray you used for the pepper. Bake on the top shelf of your oven until golden, 6-8 mins.

Meanwhile, roughly chop the chives (or use scissors if that's easier). When the pasta is cooked, drain it in a colander and stir it into your thickened tomato sauce. Stir in half the chives and half the Italian hard cheese (and another splash of water if you want it to be a bit saucier).

Serve in bowls and sprinkle over the remaining chives. Add a small pinch of chilli flakes if you like a bit of heat (but be careful they're hot!). Slice the ciabatta diagonally into triangles and serve alongside. Enjoy!