Last week, Dallan requested that I make pasta (Dallan is always requesting I make pasta. Easy for him, he’s as thin as a rail. Malice!). Anyways, I decided it was time to switch it up. Time to try out a new recipe! With Droid in hand, I started surfing AllRecipes.com for some Tomato/Basil yum yums. Then, I-Found-It! Summer Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil and Cheese. Sounds good, right? I quickly ran around Sprouts throwing the ingredients into my car (Quickly = I wanted to beat Dallan home so I could get started).
Got home. Put my groceries away. Pulled recipe back up, only to realize… THE RECIPE TOOK 2 HOUR AND 30 MINUTES FROM START TO FINISH!
“Sha-vak! It’s already 6:00. I don’t have time to wait 2.5 hours. Must scrap recipe. Must get creative. Must improvise!!!”
This, my dear Bella Readers, is the little “slice-of-heaven” I came up with. I only wish my pictures looked professional & had scratch-n-sniff capabilities. Sigh. Someday…
TOMATO BASIL PASTA SAUCE
Ingredients
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2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
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1 Medium White Onion (Finely Chopped)
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3 cloves garlic (minced)
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1/4 teaspoon Red Chili Pepper Flakes
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1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt (I heart Kosher salt!)
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1-2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
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(2) 28 Oz. Cans Crushed Tomatoes (TIP: If we don’t use all of the sauce, I like to freeze the leftover sauce and reheat later)
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2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
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1 Tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
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1/2 cup chopped fresh Basil
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1/2 Cup Shredded Fontina Cheese
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1/4 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Directions
Place Olive Oil in large dutch oven(or large pot) and turn stove top heat to medium. Once oil is hot, add white onions and saute until translucent. Add garlic and saute for a minute. Next: add red chili pepper, salt, Italian Seasoning, Crushed Tomatoes and vinegar. Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes (uncovered). Add fresh Basil and Mint Leaves. Simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Add cheese and stir. Reduce to low heat.
Serve with your favorite Pasta, vegetable side dishes, and Bread! (You’re all ready eating a bunch of carbs, why not add more?)
Enjoy!
Camberley
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