Sweet Sweet Tomato Pasta Sauce

Pasta sauce over thick spaghetti

 Every once in a while I have a craving for a sweet pasta sauce. Katie always has a craving for sweet pasta sauce. For our anniversary this year Steven took Katie and me to a little Italian restaurant (yes Katie went with us and it was really nice).  We had some amazing rongini (rice balls); one of my favorite all time Italian dishes. I have never made them because once I did I would make and eat way too many. We also spaghetti with a sweet tomato sauce. It was lovely. Yep, I have a craving for sweet tomato sauce over pasta. I would usually make meatballs to go with it.  But I have some turkey kielbasa that needs to be used so kielbasa it is. I have a range for the brown sugar because how much sugar is added depends on how acidic the tomatoes are (I think it varies from can to can but that may just be me) and how sweet you want the sauce. Usually one tablespoon of brown sugar works great but I taste the sauce and adjust as needed.

Sweet Tomato Pasta Sauce

2 Tbsp of Olive Oil
3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
1 28 oz (794 g) Can of Crushed Tomatoes in Heavy Puree
1/2 Tsp of Dried Basil
1/2 Tsp of Dried Oregano
1/2 Tsp of Dried Parsley
1/4 Tsp of Dried Thyme
1/4 Tsp of Crushed Red Peppers (Optional)
1/4 Tsp of Salt
A Couple Turns of the Pepper Mill
1-2 Tbsp of Brown Sugar

Pour oil into large sauce pan and add garlic. Heat over low heat for a couple of minutes until starting to brown (you do not want the garlic to brown).

Heating garlic over low heat

Add the remaining ingredients and heat uncovered over low heat while you cook the pasta (it only needs to cook for 20 minutes or so). The sauce should not come to a boil.

Heating the tomato sauce and enjoying the smell

Serve over pasta (with lots of grated Parmesan cheese) or use as a pizza sauce.

The bottom line: will I make this again? Yes and often. It is a great tomato sauce for the winter- it is tasty even though it is made with canned tomatoes and dried spices. So so good.

Green Tomato Chutney

A spoonful of green tomato chutney

This is the last of the green tomato posts. Sadly, I am now out of green tomatoes. I am morning their loss. The green tomato salsa was exceptional and I am looking forward to the green tomato pickles. The big decision I have is what to put in the green tomato chutney.  Chutney comes from the East Indian word "chatni" which means "strongly spiced." Chutneys have a chunky spreadable almost preserve-like consistency.
Now the question is the flavors for the chutney. I have some lovely cilantro that I know will go perfectly with the green tomatoes. Of course, I will be using a spicy lemon pepper and some garlic. I want a bit of sweetness with the heat so I am adding brown sugar.

Green tomatoes ready to be sautéed

Green Tomato Chutney

2 1/2 Cups (300 g) of Green Tomatoes
1/4 Cup (5 g) of Cilantro, Finely Chopped
2 Tbsp of Vegetable or Canola Oil
1/2 Tsp of Cumin
1/2 Tsp of Salt
1/2 Garam Masala
1 Clove of Garlic, Minced
1 Lemon Pepper, Finely Chopped
2 Tsp of Brown Sugar

Sauté the tomatoes in a dry skillet over medium heat until fairly dry. Add the cilantro, oil, cumin, garlic, and pepper.

Green tomatoes with the added spices

Sauté until the tomatoes are browned and soft. (At this point your entire house should smell so absolutely delicious that you just can't stand it).

Finished chutney

Remove the mixture from the pan, and process it  in a blender or food processor. While the chutney is still hot, add the brown sugar and stir well.
The bottom line: Will I make this again? I would make it for the smell alone. Absolutely incredible. I will be making some naan to go with this chutney. If I can find some more green tomatoes, I will make this again.

Basil Oil

Caprese salad drizzled with basil oil.

We have a lot of basil. I always plant too much. I am always in a rush at the end of the summer to use it all. This year I decided to infuse olive oil with basil. I was amazed at how easy it was.

Basil Oil

1 1/2 Cups (30 g)  of Lightly Packed Fresh Basil Leaves
1 Cup (240 ml) of Olive Oil

Rinse and dry basil leaves. Combine oil and basil in a food processor or blender and pulse so that the leaves are finely chopped but not puréed. 

Pour basil oil into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, Stir occasionally until temperature reaches 165F/74C.

Remove from heat and allow to cool. Pour into nonreactive container, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Strain through a fine mesh strainer or several layers of cheesecloth.

Discard basil and store oil in the refrigerator.

The bottom line: Will I make this again? Yes, this time next year, I will be making more.