Saturday, February 19, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
This recipe is so delicious! It is a homemade spaghetti sauce recipe with olives in it. It is really easy to make too :)
MARATHON PASTA
INGREDIENTS:
· 2 tablespoons olive oil
· 2 cups chopped onions
· 1-2 cloves garlic (according to taste), chopped
· 1 28-ounce can chopped or crushed tomatoes
· 8 small to medium bay leaves plus a few more for garnish
· ½ teaspoon dried thyme
· ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
· salt and pepper to taste
· 2 dozen pitted Kalamata olives
· 2 teaspoons Greek rigani or oregeno
· 1 pound penne or pasta of your choice
· 1/ 3 cup Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
DIRECTIONS:
1. Pour the oil into a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and garlic and cook gently for about four minutes until they have softened.
2. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme and fennel seeds. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until some of the tomato juice has evaporated and the sauce has thickened.
3. Stir in the Kalamata olives along with the rigani or oregano and cook for another five minutes, or long enough to heat the olives through. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves.
4. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large pan. Add a tablespoon of salt, then the penne or other pasta. Stir to separate the pieces and cook for 7-8 minutes or until tender but still firm. Drain.
5. To serve, toss the pasta with about half the sauce and transfer to a warmed platter or to individual plates. Top with more sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve more at the table.