Pass the Pasta

A very unlikely friend taught me this recipe. Unlikely, because he didn’t really look like he knew his way around a kitchen, let alone Italian cuisine. But clearly he did, and his recipe has become one of my favourite ‘healthy’ comfort foods.

Ingredients:

Tomatoes:  1 kilo chopped small

Garlic: 1 pod chopped fine (or more if you’re a fan)

Fresh cream: 2 tbsp

Salt: To taste

Pepper

Fusilli/penne/fettuccine/farfalle

Olive oil: 1 tbsp

(Optional)

Mushrooms, babycorn

Prawn

Bacon/bacon bits

Basil

Preparation:

Start the sauce first.

Heat the olive oil in a pan. Before the oil gets too hot, put in the chopped garlic. (I love garlic so I always use a lot.)

Don’t let the garlic get brown. When you see a hint of gold on the garlic, throw in the tomatoes.

Mix the tomatoes and the garlic well and then seal the pan with a lid.

Now put the gas on low and wait.

Pour yourself some wine and listen to some music.

Whatever you do, don’t open that lid.

Distract yourself from wanting to sneak a peak, by getting the pasta going.

Boil water and salt.

Add the pasta.

Cook to al dente or soft (basically the way you like your pasta).

Drain, add a few drops of olive oil, mix well and leave aside to cool.

Back to the sauce.

If you’re adding veggies or prawns (or any other extras) to the sauce, boil or cook them ahead. Cook them simply with just salt, so that the extras can take on the flavour of the sauce. The sauce is quite delicious by itself, but the extras do make the meal heartier.

The sauce needs to cook under a closed lid for at least 30 mins .

When you lift the lid, the tomatoes should be nicely cooked through. When you stir the sauce, the tomatoes should mix into a chunky wholesome consistency.

Turn off the gas.

Add the fresh cream. It adds a great kick to the flavour and enhances the texture of the sauce.

Add salt to taste. Add in the extras.

Mix half the sauce into the cooked pasta.

Add the remaining sauce, just before serving.

Serve with love and a fresh salad. Yum yum.

Buon appetito J

Image courtesy Shutterstock.com

Title courtesy Uma Nair on a very memorable party night :)