MAKE IT CUTE

What You’ll Need:

o    6 fresh plum tomatoes (or 6 canned plum tomatoes)
o    1 medium onion
o    2 large garlic cloves
o    1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
o    1 teaspoon each: dried oregan dried basil
o    2 teaspoon each: sugar & salt
o    Freshly ground pepper

What You’ll Do:

1. Slice the plum tomatoes in half lengthwise. One at a time, place a tomato half cut side down. Slice lengthwise and dice. Put into a bowl and set aside. Chop the onion. Peel and mince the garlic or use a garlic press.

2. Over medium heat, heat the oil in a large, nonstick skillet for a few seconds. Add the onions and garlic; saute for a few minutes until soft, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes, herbs, sugar, salt, and pepper. Lower the heat to medium-low and let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes, stirring every so often, until the tomatoes are soft and the sauce starts to thicken. At this point, you could serve the chunky tomato sauce tossed with pasta but for a smooth sauce, you will need to blend it.

3. Put the blender in the sink. Carefully spoon the sauce into the blender. Before you turn the blender on low speed, cover the top with a dish towel, holding the top down while you blend. (Caution: Hot liquids can sometimes force off the top.) Blend until smooth. Toss with hot pasta and grated cheese or let the sauce cool before you refrigerate. Mangia! (Eat!)

Other ideas: Add sautéed mushrooms or diced green pepper to your sauce after it’s blended.

Pasta and Sauce                     

In a large pot, boil a quarter pound of pasta per person, a one pound package for four pasta lovers. Your choice: spaghetti, linguine, penne (tubes), mini penne rigate (penne with ridges), farfalle (bow-tie), rotini (spiral), fiorini (wheel) and so on. Follow the directions on the package. Have an adult pour the pasta and hot water into a colander to drain. Shake the colander to get rid of excess water that could water down your sauce. Pour the pasta in a large mixing or serving bowl. Pour in enough sauce to coat the pasta and toss, or serve it as it is. Serve sprinkled with grated cheese or put a small bowl of cheese on the table for everyone to help themselves.

Other Ideas: For meat lovers, serve some cooked Italian sausage or chicken sausage, cut into three-inch pieces, on the side. Make up some small ground turkey meat balls to serve with your pasta.

Tools:

o    Large soup pot
o    Colander
o    Large mixing or serving bowl

By: Anne Vassal 

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