Monday 23 November 2015

Light Summery Pasta Sauce

Très simple.

First, roughly chop a large onion, two tomatoes, as many mushrooms as you like (I like about seven large ones), three cloves of garlic, and three green chillies. Finely slice half an inch of peeled ginger into little translucent sticks.

The last two ingredients are optional, but if you like your pasta fresh and fragrant and slightly different from the usual stuff, you will need at least the chillies.

First, add a glug of oil in the saucepan/wok. Toss in the vegetables in this order:
Onions
Garlic
Ginger
Mushroom
Tomatoes
Chillies


Let it cook on a high flame with occasional stirring so the tomatoes don't stick to the bottom of the pan.



Finally, when everything becomes one inseparable tomatoey, mildly spicy mass, add a dollop of fresh cream.



Fold it in. Reduce flame to medium. Add salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and because I love parsley, a touch of parsley. I use these herbs dried. Finally, add a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity of tomatoes.

Then add a cup of water, cover the saucepan, and let the sauce simmer.

When it reaches the thickness you like, taste the sauce. Add whatever spice you want more of. Then fold in the cooked and drained pasta to the pan.


Mix it in well, then cover the pan again. Let the pasta steep in the sauce and soak it in.

Finally, serve with grated/chopped cheese, sausage slices, and my personal favourite: chopped fresh cilantro/coriander leaves.