Pasta with Rich Tomato Herb Sauce

 Rich Tomato Herb Pasta Sauce

Ingredients

800g organic tomatoes, peeled and chopped

400g Italian diced tomatoes (tined)

6-8 large garlic cloves, minced

300g French shallots, minced*

2 heaped tablespoon fresh thyme*

1 sprig of fresh rosemary*

1 handful fresh basil leaves, torn*

2 bay leaves fresh/dry*

1 ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste

½ cup olive oil

500g penne pasta

Serves 6-8

Cooking time 1 -2 hours

 

-Remove skin from tomatoes: wash tomatoes, take a knife and slice a cross on the top and bottom of each one. Blanch in boiling water 20 – 30 seconds, this helps to remove skin. 

-Then place tomatoes in a bowl of ice / cool water. 

-Take each tomato and gently peel off the skin. It should come away easily, if not, use a knife being careful to only remove the skin. Then roughly chop. 

-Heat oil in a heavy based saucepan on medium heat, add shallots, lower heat and allow to cook slowly for 2-3 minutes, this helps release flavor. 

-Add garlic and fresh thyme & cook a further 3-5 minutes.

Increase heat, add fresh tomatoes. Once sauce begins to boil, simmer until tomatoes begin to break down.  

-Add tinned tomatoes, bay leaves and salt. Allow sauce to come to a boil, then turn heat to low until just simmering.  Cook uncovered, until sauce has reduced and most of the liquid has evaporated. - -----Toward the end of cooking, add basil leaves. Mix through sauce until basil leaves begin to wilt. Do not forget to remove the bay leaves. Taste sauce & adjust flavor if needed.

Cook the pasta until it is al dente, drain and then mix pasta through tomato sauce.

Serve with crusty garlic bread and fresh garden salad.

*  French  shallots are a variety of onion, they have a sweeter, milder, rich and more complex flavor than onions. Shallots are found in the onion and garlic section of the supermarket.

*  Thyme, rosemary and basil leaves found in herb section of supermarket. If you are into weekend markets, quite often you will pick up these herbs fresh and organically grown.

*  Bay leaves: if unable to find fresh leaves, use dry ones - most supermarkets have this.

Note:   For those who have a wheat or gluten intolerance, there are different types of pasta available made from a variety of ingredients including rice, corn, soy, barley and spinach. These pasta can be found in the health section of the supermarket or at health food stores.

Blessed [art] thou, O land, when thy king [is] the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness! Ecclesiastes 10:17   

Posted by Yiannoulla

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