tomato sauce

tomato sauce
Originally uploaded by kattebelletje.

One of the joys of coming home is to have this first meal. I always crave for the simple, and usually I end up eating my first meal of pasta with a tomato sauce. I could even do without the tomatoes and then only use anchovies, pepper and some garlic. Of course there is a chunk of Parmesan in the fridge.

Marcella Hazan taught me to make the most simple of tomato sauces. You never have to buy a jar again! Take one tin of plum tomatoes (0.20 euro, I stock up on these), add a large lump of butter, a pinch of salt, a pinch of sugar, and half an onion (unsliced). Simmer for about half an hour or more. You can add more flavors, like a bit of chopped garlic and a sprig of parsley - but tomatoes, half an onion and butter are the main ingredients. Then mash the tomatoes - I use a potato masher for this - until the sauce is quite chunky. You could put it in a food processor to get a more smooth sauce.

Cook your preferred pasta ( I think I had linguine) and coat it with the sauce, put on a large heap of grated Parmesan and sprinkle on some dried chili flakes and some freshly chopped parsley.

Now try not to think about wonderful Chinese meals.