Here is a simple pasta dish that we enjoyed on a Friday during Lent. The sauce is easy, not as easy as opening up a jar of marinara, but easy enough and tasty enough to make it worth a little effort. Just give yourself enough time to let the sauce simmer to enhance all the flavors.
Here's what you need to get started:
rotini pasta, however much you need for your family,
or pasta of your choice, I think penne would work great, too
grated Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling on top
Maria Rosa Sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup diced onions
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian, flat leaf parsley
4 cups canned whole plum tomatoes, about one 35 oz. can
(crush the tomatoes using your hands or chop with a knife before adding to the sauce, or puree them in a food processor if you like your sauce less chunky)
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter in the olive oil.
Add carrots, celery and onion and garlic and cook until softened about 8-10 minutes.
Stir in the parsley and tomatoes.
Bring the sauce to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until the tomatoes are sweetened and cooked about 45 minutes.
When sauce is close to being done, prepare pasta according to package directions.
Drain pasta and toss with enough of the sauce to thoroughly coat pasta.
Dish up the pasta and top with extra sauce and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
*You could add a pound of ground chuck to the sauce to make a meat sauce for topping pasta. Just add it to the vegetables after they have begun to soften and cook until done, then finish the recipe from that point, adding the tomatoes, parsley, salt and pepper.
This was very reminiscent of pasta we would have ordered in Italy. And even though I made it without meat, it was very filling and healthy with all the veggies in it.
We loved it!
