It's hard to believe
how simple this sauce is to make-all you need is about an hour and a few staples,
including a large can of tomatoes. When a little heavy cream is swirled into
the sauce just before serving, it is truly sublime, although it is still very
good without it.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 2 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
- 1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes, with the juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1 pound farfalle or bow-tie pasta
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
- 6 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Method:
1. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the
onion, celery and carrots and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring, until
the vegetables begin to soften.
2. Add the tomatoes and their juice, raise the heat and bring
to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the sugar. Reduce the
heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for about 1 hour, stirring
occasionally with a wooden spoon, until quite thick. Cool slightly.
3. Transfer the sauce to a food processor and process until smooth.
This may have to be done in batches. Return the puréed sauce
to the pan. (At this point, the sauce may be refrigerated or frozen.)
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a
boil over high heat. Cook the pasta for 8 to 10 minutes or just until
al dente. Drain and return to the pot. Cover to keep hot.
5. Heat the sauce over medium heat until simmering. Add the cream,
if using, and stir for about 1 minute, until blended.
6. Spoon the pasta into 6 pasta or soup bowls and spoon the sauce
over it. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with the cheese.
Note : You
can double the sauce recipe (omitting the cream) and freeze the excess for
later use (see step 3).
Serves: 6
From Sunday
Dinner by Barbara Scott-Goodman and Mary Goodbody
Copyright 1998 by Barbara Scott-Goodman and Mary Goodbody
Permission by Chronicle Books
