Who ever said cooking Italian cuisine was difficult? It’s easier than most people think and many recipes use common ingredients you usually have at-hand in your own kitchen. With a few fresh items and a couple of steps, you'll be on your way to learning the basics of Italian cooking. There is no doubt that Italians love to eat pasta; it's a staple in many traditional households. Among the most popular and favorite dishes is pasta with fresh, home-made tomato sauce. Many people resort to buying already-made tomato sauce; there are plenty of options readily available at supermarkets, but it’s far different than savoring fresh tomato sauce, which to many people’s surprise, is very quick to make. Best of all, you'll eat healthy, without the additives and preservatives found in many store bought tomato sauces. A few simple ingredients and you’re done. It’s Italian made easy!
What You’ll Need:
- 1 can of diced or whole tomatoes
- 1 medium-sized onion (chopped finely)
- 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 2 large carrots (peeled, and chopped)
- 1 celery stick (chopped)
- Salt and Pepper (for taste)
- Ground Chili flakes or ground Cayenne Pepper (optional, for extra spice)
Putting It All Together:
- In a medium sized pot, pour enough olive oil to slightly cover the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat to medium to warm the oil.
- Place chopped carrots and celery, and sauté for 2-3 minutes to soften the vegetables. Add chopped onion and garlic, stir and continue to sauté for 5 minutes.
- Take pot off the heat and blend ingredients with a hand blender until you get a thick consistency. This will be the base that brings flavor to your tomato sauce.
- In a separate bowl hand blend the can of whole or diced tomatoes so that you get a sauce consistency.
- Add the blended tomatoes to the pot along with blended vegetables, and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you like your tomato sauce on the spicy side, add ground chili flakes or cayenne pepper.
- Cook sauce over medium heat and stir occasionally for 20 to 30 minutes.
Serve With:
You can serve tomato sauce with any kind of pasta. It doesn’t always have to be spaghetti. Try something different, like Rigatoni, or any other short-cut pasta. When cooking pasta, remember to follow the boiling times on the package. You don't want to over-cook pasta. For best results, you want the texture of your pasta to be what Italians call, "al dente" -cooked to be firm, but not hard. Sprinkle your finished plate with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and enjoy!
