Quick Springtime pasta

Blah, but read on... I felt bad about two blah recipes in a row, so I added in my absolute favorite tomato sauce for all time ever. Also I've just been dying for an excuse to post it even though I make it all the time.



Quick Springtime pasta (the ok sauce, scroll down for the other)
1tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
400g can chopped tomatoes
Handful of basil leaves, chopped
400g/14oz spaghetti
290g jar of artichoke hearts, cut into bite sized pieces
Handful freshly grated parmesan
Handful parsley, chopped

Heat the oil and tip in the garlic and cook for 1 min until lightly colored. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, then stir in the basil. Bring up to a boil, then turn down the heat and leave to gently simmer for 10 min. Meanwhile, boil the spaghetti according to the pack instructions.
Drain the spaghetti, reserving a little of the cooking liquid, and return the pasta to the pan. Add the artichokes to the tomato sauce until heated through, then pour it over the spaghetti. Stir in a little parmesan, most of the chopped parsley and a splash of the cooking water if the sauce looks dry. Serve immediately with the remaining parmesan and parsley sprinkled over.

This was from Good Food Magazine. There was nothing at all wrong with it, but I found it kind of bland. I loved the artichokes, but other then that it was nothing to sing about.

If you want a really unbelievably amazing perfect tomato sauce that is cooked in less then the time it takes to cook the pasta, and can be made with all ingredients that you can keep around in the house, try Jamie Oliver’sPuttanesca:

455g/1lb linguine
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
2-3 small dried chilllies, crumbled
1tsp dried oregano
Extra virgin olive oil
2x400g tins of tomatoes drained and chopped
2 handfuls of black olives, destoned
1 handful capers, soaked in water and drained
12 anchovy fillets, roughly chopped
1 good handful fresh basil (When I don’t have this around, I skip it, the sauce is still amazing, but do use it if you can)

Cook pasta according to packet
Fry garlic, chillies and oregano in oil till slightly softened, add tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add olives capers and anchovies and cook 4 - 5 minutes more.
Toss with pasta, tear basil over, and test seasoning.

I like to throw some grated parmesan on top too.

Seriously, try this sauce, and you will never use jar sauce again.