Festa Italiana!

By now, I must have about ten different versions of tomato-based pasta sauces on here… I know that I should stop, but really, I can’t help it: other people have a favorite sauce to fall back on, but part of the fun of making tomato sauce for me is to discover something new every time I address this old favorite.

This pasta sauce is probably the quickest and easiest I’ve ever made: once the sauce ingredients are in the saucepan, the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta is all you need before your sauce is done.

I’m also submitting this as an entry to Marie and Maryann’s Festa Italiana blog event! Feel free to send your own dishes before March 9th. Details are available here and here.

Buon appetito!

Perfect Pasta Sauce

1 bottle (720 ml) passata
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. butter
salt and pepper
2 whole dried cayenne chiles or 1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the butter, and when the sizzling has subsided, add the onion and a bit of salt. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes.

Add the garlic and cayenne chiles: break them in half as you toss them in. Stir and wait until the garlic becomes fragrant, about one minute. Add the passata and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Prepare enough pasta for two people (100 grams per person as a lunch portion, a bit more for dinner). When the pasta is nearly cooked, turn off the sauce and use an immersion blender to blend it until fairly smooth. Drain the pasta and serve with a hefty amount of sauce.