Any Day Pasta

Like every great Italian, I enjoy pasta more than a few times a week.  Sometimes I choose marinara, other times a good aglio y olio (garlic and oil).  Tonight, I needed something fresh and substantial – and certainly not something from a jar!  What I created can be used as a guide in which you can add an array of fresh produce, any time of year.

Ingredients:

1 lb. pasta (I chose angel hair)

4-5 large tomatoes, largely diced

4-5 small cherry tomatoes, halved

4 medium onions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

10-15 larges leaves of fresh basil, cut chiffonade

¼ cup of olive oil

Salt and pepper

Red chili flakes, optional

Directions:

Put your water on to boil – so it’s ready when you are.  When it comes to a boil, add salt.

Roughly dice your tomatoes and add them to a pan on medium heat.  Then add in your garlic and onions.  Drop in the cherry tomato halves, which will give texture to the dish.  If you only have one type of tomato or the other, that's fine - use what you have.

Stir to combine and let the ingredients cook, forcing their flavors to come out and, in turn, flavor your sauce - about 10 minutes.

Add in the chili flakes to your desired heat level.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Pour in the olive oil, let the mixture come to a bubble, and then reduce to a simmer.

Sprinkle the strips of basil over the mixture as it simmers away.  At this point, you could use an immersion blender to puree the sauce until smooth.  I opted for a more rustic sauce, but the choice is all yours.

Next drop your pasta in the salted, boiling water.

When the pasta reaches just before al dente (it will continue to cook and absorb the liquid in your sauce), add it to your pan.

Gently combine for a few minutes, then serve with a few small leaves of fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese.