Last night I was struggling to find something to make for dinner. I had a pack of whole wheat rotini, and a can of whole tomatoes. Together, with a few other staple ingredients I was able to make something quick and easy for my whole family to enjoy. Yes, it was just pasta and sauce, but I made the sauce myself instead of breaking into my emergency stash of jarred pasta sauce. The real thing has more depth of flavor, and tastes amazingly good!
Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic
1 green onion
15 oz can of whole tomatoes
basil
oregano
red pepper flakes (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz package of pasta
parmesan cheese (to sprinkle afterwards)
1. Start boiling water, with a dash of salt. When water comes to a boil, put in pasta until it is no longer al dente (about 10-15 minutes).
2. Slice up the green onion, and mince or crush the garlic. Heat the oil on low to medium in a pan, sauting the green onion and garlic. Add tomatoes and stir.
3. Reduce to a simmer. Add the basil, oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Drain the pasta, and add to the pan with the sauce. Stir under low heat. Serve immediately, with parmesan to sprinkle on top.
You can use whole tomatoes if you like. Just put them under hot water for about 10 minutes, until the skin is soft and can be easily removed. I used a green onion, because I happened to have it on hand, but if I didn't I would have used about 1/4 cup of sliced yellow or red onions. I'm a fan of using what you have! For the spices, I used a few dashes of the basil and oregano. Hard to quantify, but if you are unsure just add a little at a time tasting in between. I also added a dash of red pepper flakes for some spice, but you can leave that out.
As with any pasta sauce, adding veggies or ground meat can be added. I have found on many occasions this pasta sauce really doesn't need much. The tomatoes give it a nice hearty taste, without being too heavy.
Enjoy!
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