Easy Cuisine

Cuisine is easily one of my favorite things about living in Italy, which is home to fresh, uncomplicated food that is simply delicious. I love Italian pasta dishes above all else (though pizza comes in an arguable second). A few years ago, I admit, I was a jarred-pasta-sauce kind of girl. My favorite pasta dinner included boiling up a box of spaghetti, dumping in a jar of Ragu or Prego, and shaking a plastic tub of powdered parmesan over the top. Dinner was served, and I was happy. My, how things have changed...

Living in Italy has completely altered my culinary style. Since my first stay here nearly two years ago, I have cracked open the lid of nary a bottle of jarred pasta sauce. I've discovered, partly through the inspiration of living in this country, and partly through desperation (everything in the supermarket is different here) that I love to cook. I love to go into the kitchen, open up the cupboards, pull out an oversized pot, and create. Anything on hand is fair game...and I've found that I'm pretty good at it. Pasta sauces have definitely become a favorite. Anyone who knows me, has without a doubt been stuck listening to me preach about the virtues of making homemade pasta sauces. It's simple, healthy, and the difference in taste is incredible.

A difficult element for many, of course, is time. With most of my friends raising young families and juggling jobs and a million other things at once, they start to roll their eyes the minute I launch into my "All it takes is tomatoes and time" monolouge. I am writing this post because I have stumbled upon a pretty fantastic little recipe, which I liked so much I could not resist sharing. One of my favorite dishes to order  in Italian restaurants is a simple Spaghetti Pomodoro (spaghetti with tomato sauce). Yes, I know, how boring. But here in Italy, it is not actually boring...it's a simple, classsic blend of flavors with perfectly cooked pasta and just enough smooth, delicious sauce to coat. I found a recipe which is a pretty darn good replication of some of the Spaghetti Pomodoro I've eaten here in Italy. What makes it outstanding, to me, is its simplicity. This meal took me ten minutes to make, from start to finish, and tasted like it could have taken much more. For those of you busy people I have been trying to convert to homemade sauces, give this a try. It makes a light, uncomplicated, and tasty little dish.

Triple Tomato Penne

Recipe published in Food and Wine Magazine

Serves 3-4 as a main dish. Or two if you're feeding Roland.

1 pound penne (500g)
2 medium tomatoes (or one can diced)
4 oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 large basil leaves
1 garlic clove
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Fresh parmesan cheese, if desired

- In a large pot, cook the penne until al dente (this is crucial in Italian pasta dishes. Pasta should still have a firm bite. No mushy pasta!).
-Meanwhile, combine all other ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
-Drain the pasta and return to pot. Toss hot pasta with sauce straight from blender (no need to pre-heat sauce).
-Season well with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with fresh parmesan, if desired.

Note: It will probably look as if there is not enough sauce for a whole box of pasta, but prepare as directed...The sauce is meant to only lightly coat the pasta, not drown it. And yes, I really should have photographed this dish. But it wasn't until I finished off my plate a few minutes ago that it dawned on me to share, so my apologies. If only there were enough for one more serving...purely for photograpic purposes, of course.