Pasta Pomodoro

There is nothing as good as a slow cooked tomato sauce made from fresh tomatoes and herbs. Pasta pomodoro, as it is called in Italy, captures all the great sweet flavors of summer. While the actual cooking time is long, 2 1/2 hours, the preparation is pretty quick and easy. Once you get the sauce going, all you have to do is stir it occasionally, which you can easily do while being busy with other things around the house.

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Ingredients:

  • 2 pound of fresh tomatoes ( I like the dry farmed ones - makes for an even sweeter sauce), cut into chunks
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 12 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1 bunch of basil, chopped

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  • 1/2 bunch of marjoram, chopped
  • 1/2 bunch of oregano, chopped
  • 1/2 cup of red wine
  • 1 table spoon of olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Serves 4

You will need a non-reactive heavy pot, such as a Le Creuset, to make this dish.

Preparation:

  • Saute onions and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes - medium heat
  • Add tomatoes and red wine, stir, cook for about 5 minutes - medium heat
  • Add herbs, blend in, cook for a couple of minutes on medium heat
  • Cover pot, reduce heat to low - let sauce simmer for about 2.5 hours, stirring and checking on it every 10-15 minutes.

    I served the dish with grilled shrimp and a salad

The liquid will slowly diminish, leaving you with a nice thick sauce. You can keep the lid open just a tiny tad if you feel that the liquid is not reducing quickly enough. If you want to thicken the sauce more, you can add a 1/2 small can of organic tomato paste 30 minutes before the sauce is done.

 

 

 

Pasta with Zucchini, Dried Tomatoes, Dried Shitake Mushrooms & Herbs

Zucchini squashes are back in season; they come in all shapes, colors and sizes and, when fresh, have a lovely natural sweetness to them.You could make this dish with fresh mushrooms and tomatoes, but I like both the chewiness of the dried ones as well as the sweet flavor of the tomatoes when dried. The fresh herbs round out the flavors nicely and make this a wonderful pasta dish. IMG_0890

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/4 cup of zucchini squash, cut into small bite size chunks
  • 1/4 cup dry tomatoes
  • 1/2  cup dried shitake mushrooms
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon of soysauce
  • 1/2 bundle of parsley
  • 2 sprigs of marjoram (or 1 teaspoon dried)
  • 2 sprigs of thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
  • 1 sprig of oregano (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
  • 1/2 cup of white wine
  • Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste
  • Freshly graded parmesan (optional)
  • Pasta (I used brown rice pasta in this dish, but any pasta will be fine)

Serves 4 to 6

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Preparation:

  1. Cut dried tomatoes into small chunks, I use my poultry shears to do it; works very well
  2. Boil water and pour over mushrooms and tomatoes (separate containers), cover and let sit for 10 minutes, drain liquid. You can save a bit of the tomato water in case you need extra liquid for the dish, do not use the mushroom water.
  3. Chop all other ingredients
  4. Boil water for pasta, add pasta when ready
  5. Heat oil in large pan over medium heat, add garlic and onion, saute for 3-4 minutes
  6. Add zucchini, saute for 5 minutes
  7. Add mushrooms, tomatoes and herbs - save a tablespoon of parsley for garnish, saute for a couple of minutes
  8. Ad white wine, soysauce, salt and pepper, cover pan and cook over low to medium heat for 5 - 10 minutes, until zucchini, mushrooms and tomatoes are done (remember the mushrooms and tomatoes will stay chewy!) Add tomato water if you need more liquid.
  9. Mix with pasta, garnish with remaining parsley and top with grated parmesan.
  10. Serve as main or side dish.

Bon Appetit!

Mid-Week Meal: Whole Wheat Pasta with Sauteed Chard,Black Beans, and Tomatoes

Whole Wheat Pasta with Sauteed Chard,Black Beans, and Tomatoes

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • 1 Bundle of chard
  • 1/2 can of organic tomatoes (when in season use fresh)
  • 1/2 can of organic black beans
  • Organic whole wheat pasta of your choice
  • 1/2 cup red cooking wine
  • 1 clove garlic (crushed)
  • Olive oil
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Salt
  • Dash of balsamic vinegar (optional)
  • Grated Parmesan (optional)

Preparation:

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  • Start by boiling water for pasta
  • Wash and cut chard, separate stems and leaves.
  • Saute stems and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes
  • Add tomatoes and beans, red wine, salt, and red pepper, flakes.
  • Add pasta to boiling salt water
  • Let heat rise briefly so alcohol can evaporate. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes.
  • Add chard leaves, dash of balsamic vinegar, cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes, until all ingredients are cooked.
  • Drain pasta and serve with tomato-chard-bean mix, add Parmesan if desired.