So. Like every other person in America, I tend to be an emotional eater. Not so much in the sense that I gorge myself when I'm upset or anything. Its more like, for me, certain foods and ingredients have specific qualities and emotions they go with. For example, I tend to find garlic really comforting and wonderful and, oddly, kind of sexy. Garlic breath be damned- my love for garlic is one of the many reasons I date a beautiful Italian man!
Yesterday was the last day of November, and rainy and gross, and I've been having some health problems and really just everything in the universe seemed to combine to turn it into a really crappy day so of course...I made my super easy, super garlic-y Spicy Marinara Sauce. It takes the same amount of time to make the sauce as it does to cook the pasta, so make sure you put it on at the same time, ok?
Cast of Characters:
1/2 medium onion, chopped
garlic- I used four cloves, but to each his own :)
2 tbs olive oil
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 28 oz can peeled whole tomatoes
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp basil
2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper
So easy. Heat the skillet to medium and add the oil. Saute the chopped onion and garlic for a few minutes, until really fragrant but not at all brown (if you brown the garlic, it has a tendancy to get bitter). Stir in the tomato sauce and the liquid from the whole tomatoes. Now, hold one or two of the tomatoes in your palm and squeeze into the skillet- you should end up with broken up, crushed tomatoes for your sauce. (If you prefer a super smooth sauce, you can buzz them for a minute in the blender.) Add all of the spice and stir; salt and pepper to taste. By the time your pasta is cooked through, you should have this amazing garlicky, spicy marinara.
Now. This sauce is perfect for me as is, and I like to serve it over whole wheat angel hair. If I gave that to Ev, he would probably ask me where the main course is. Ha! So for him, I saute one piece of spicy italian sausage thats been removed from its casing and use cheese tortellini. Toss the tortellini is a bowl with the sausage and tons of sauce, mix, and its a meal fit for a man. Or woman. You know :)
