Tomato Sauce

Makes about 4 ½ cups or enough for 8-10 servings of pasta

Ingredients

  • 2 cans (28oz) of crushed tomatoes
  • ¼ cup plus 2 ½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • ½ cup finely chopped carrots
  • ½ cup finely chopped celery
  • 6 fresh bay leaves (or 3 dried)
  • Crushed red pepper (to taste)
  • Sea salt (to taste)

Directions

  1. Pass the tomatoes through a food mill fitted with the fine disc or crush them as fine as possible in a bowl with a wire whisk
  2. Heat olive oil and saute onion until wilted
  3. Add carrots and celery and cook until golden (10 mins or so)
  4. Add tomatoes, herbs and a pinch of salt and simmer until thickened (45 mins or so)
  5. Remove bay leaves and taste for salt

Recipe adapted from Lidia Bastianich

Pennette with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • ¾ pound whole wheat pennette or penne
  • One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes in tomato puree, drained
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • Salt

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
  2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, puree the tomatoes until smooth.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet. Add the sliced garlic and cook over moderately low heat until golden, about 2 minutes.
  4. Add the crushed red pepper and cook for 30 seconds.
  5. Add the pureed tomatoes and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 6 minutes.
  6. Season the tomato sauce with salt.
  7. Salt the boiling water. Add the pennette to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente.
  8. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce in the skillet. Toss well and spoon into bowls or a serving dish.
  9. Sprinkle the pennette with parsley and serve.

Adapted from Mark Strausman via Food & Wine. Photo by Kelly Garbato via Flickr used with CC Attribution, Non Commercial, No Derivatives license