My mother was the first person to teach me how to make a tomato based pasta sauce.
And my father showed me how to sneak in a spoonful of sugar to cut the acidity.
Mom taught me how to make an apple pie from scratch and dad fed me hard candy in church when no one was looking.
Suffice to say, I learned valuable lessons from both of my parents, and while I no longer attend mass on a regular basis, or any basis for that matter, I still make a mean pasta sauce.
In a perfect world filled with calorie less carbs, unicorns and oodles of free time, making sauce is an all day affair. It starts with tomatoes, includes paste, loads of garlic, bulbs of onions and bunches of herbs. It slow cooks and simmers for hours on end, filling the house with an enticing aroma, while I pop in periodically to nurture it.
I no longer live in that perfect world though. Carbs have calories, at least the kind I want to eat, and unicorns exist only in my dreams. Sometimes they sail by on a wave of buttered bagels, horns held up high.
These days, I reside in the land of the little people, and I’m not talking about the place Gulliver visited on his travels. Oh no, I’m referring to my eleven month old baby, who dominates my time and desires food fast and furious. Yes, I totally ripped off the title of a race car movie, but if you saw the way my daughter eats, you would understand. She makes Linda Blair from The Exorcist look tame. I wouldn’t be surprised if her head spun in circles. Babies are quite flexible.
In any event, I’ve had to speed up my cooking processes, without sacrificing flavor because I want to eat tasty vittles too. Thus this quick and easy pasta sauce was born. I saute onions, garlic, and fistfuls of dried herbs in a boatload of extra virgin olive oil before adding canned tomatoes and Parmesan cheese.
The result is a punch of pizzazz that will tickle and tantalize your taste buds, especially when you toss in some lentil meatballs. It’s savory, it’s satisfying and so simple to make, I’m sure both of my parents would approve. The tiny human, well she devoured hers, but I would expect nothing less from Ms. Blair.
- 4 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 small Onion, diced (approximately 3/4 of a cup)
- 3 large cloves Garlic, diced (approximately 1 1/2 Tbsp.)
- 1 tsp. dried Parsley
- 1 tsp. dried Oregano
- 1 tsp. dried Basil
- 1/2 tsp. dried Thyme
- 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp. Onion Powder
- 1/4 tsp. Red Pepper flakes
- 1 28 oz can Diced Tomatoes with Basil
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- Sugar or Sweetener (like honey) to taste*
- Add olive oil to a large pan over medium high head. Add the diced onion, garlic and all the seasonings, from the parsley through to the red pepper flakes. Cook for a few minutes until onions just start to brown at the edges.
- Reduce heat to medium low, add canned tomatoes and simmer for fifteen minutes. Add Parmesan cheese and simmer another five minutes until the cheese is melted thoroughly.
- Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.
- Serve with pasta and meatballs of choice.
- *I used no sugar or sweetener in this recipe. I find canned tomatoes to be sweet enough, although I often add a teaspoon or two of sugar if I'm using fresh tomatoes. Taste it and adjust accordingly.
How is it possible I can talk about The Fast and The Furious, Gulliver’s Travelers and The Exorcist all in a single paragraph? I’m sure Swift is turning over in his grave. What’s something you learned from your parents?
Because you are a literary writing genius, that’s why.
When I was in Thailand I was volunteering at a permaculture farm, and one of the hippies (seriously) was sick so spent the ENTIRE day sitting over a batch of tomato sauce he was making. He literally used ONLY fresh tomatoes (straight from the garden) and I’m assuming a couple herbs, but I swear to god to this day it was the best thing I have ever eaten. You dream about unicorns – I dream about this sauce. I ate it for breakfast lunch and dinner for as many days as I could after. I could not believe how it was simply the act of simmering tomatoes low and slow for so long that could make SUCH a difference.
Anyways. Obviously we ain’t got time for that. But ever since I have wanted to make my own tomato sauce, so this is really perfect. Can’t wait.
A literary writing genius….I like the sound of that. 🙂
Meghan recently posted…Quick and Easy Tomato Based Pasta Sauce
Ave is such a good little eater! What did I learn from my parents? How to drink your way through church. Ha ha ha. My dad was an alcoholic and my mom is a holy rollin’ born again Christian. He’s been sober for 30 years now but my mom is still rocking the pews.
Suzy recently posted…This is How We Do Pregnant Running: The Party’s Here on the Westside
Ave is a fantastic eater. She loves cooked mushrooms (weird), pretty much all meat, smoked salmon (more weird), fig bars, cheese, bread, pasta and the list goes on. Thank goodness we got that going for us.
Meghan recently posted…Quick and Easy Tomato Based Pasta Sauce
You know you’re lucky to have wee glutton! So nice that you don’t have a fight on your hands at the table. I believe it’s the way new parents are weaning breast to table. Brilliant!
This is the recipe I have been waiting for, YaY! Thank-You, thank-you!
Your mom and dad remind me of my grandma and grandpa. Grandpa always had on a suit because he enjoyed wearing one, tie and socks matching! Such a sweet and gentle man, he carried a roll of Reeds candy in his inside jacket pocket. Root beer or cinnamon. I’d walk to church not because I wanted to go, but because I knew if I surprised them, I’d get some candy, and then be invited after out to lunch, and maybe, hopefully even shopping in Bay City, our nearest larger town! And yes, they usually spoiled me with a little bag of penny candy at the nut shop.
Grandparents are the best at spoiling us. I remember my grandmothers always had candy in their purse. It must have been a thing. Also the Andes mints I will forever associate with my Grandma Eleanor.
Enjoy the sauce.
Meghan recently posted…Quick and Easy Tomato Based Pasta Sauce
I can assure you that Swift would forgive you if you offered him some of the tomato sauce. Throw in a ball or two and he’d write an Ode to Meg 🙂
My mom taught me the importance of Maggi powder.. I don’t use it right now but I might have to start when Lulu gets a bit older. Frankly it’s rather gross, it’s hydrolyzed chicken fat bouillon powder and too much sodium, but it’s Swiss and used in a lot of Asian cooking, which combines our ethnicities perfectly. So I guess Lulu will have to experience the salt/crap bomb one day. at least see what I grew up eating.
danielle recently posted…WIR sleep less play more
I want to experience the sat crap bomb. Maybe Lulu and I can try it together.
Meghan recently posted…Quick and Easy Tomato Based Pasta Sauce
I don’t often make my own pasta sauce but when I do I always wonder why I don’t more often! And lots of garlic… That’s my favourite!
When it comes to food, my dad taught me that I don’t like overcooked meat and my mum taught me that you can still burn something but just tell people it’s ‘caramelised’! Bless, cooking was not their forte!
Jen @ Chase the Red Grape recently posted…Why you should focus on where you are, rather than where you have been #5TTT
I like the way your mom thinks. She’s one smart cookie. 🙂
Meghan recently posted…Quick and Easy Tomato Based Pasta Sauce
the pictures for this sauce have me drooling! I love a good tomato sauce.
meredith @ cookie chrunicles recently posted…Running & Workout Recap (3.20.17 – 3.26.17)
You and me both. 🙂
I *seriously* need to make this sometime. With the lentil meatballs. Heck, yes.
Do it! Doooooooo it! 🙂
This is how I hack sauces too. My mom used to do the super fancy, take allllll day sauce. Fuck that noise. Ain’t no body got time for that!
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table recently posted…Healthy Applesauce Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting [Recipe]
Time is too much of a valuable commodity these days. Although I still want to make some homemade pasta and I know that’s gonna take me all day.
Meghan recently posted…Week in Review: The Tiny Human Takes Over (#76)
I have to make marinara sauce without onions these days because of J and it’s just not the same! I actually rarely make it because it’s just not as good without them. One day when John is out I want to make your version!
My dad taught me how to make vegetables taste good, like by making a cheese sauce for broccoli or serving green beans in browned butter and toasted almonds. I’m forever grateful for this as it’s something I pass onto my clients in cooking classes and something I’ll definitely pass onto my kids!
Chelsea A recently posted…Just Have the Darn Burger
It’s not the same, but if I was in your circumstances, I would just double up on the garlic or mince the onions so finely he wouldn’t realize…. tricky, tricky. 🙂