What can I say . . . there are times in life when I just long for . . . indeed crave . . . a bowl of pasta. And sometimes it can be as simple as a bowl of hot spaghetti adorned with nothing but butter, salt, pepper and a bit of parmesan and sometimes it can be something a bit more complicated . . . it just depends on my mood and how quickly I want it on the table.
Sometimes if I am feeling really lazy, I just open a jar. Doesn't everyone? And I have my favourite jarred sauces also.
Sometimes I am willing to go whole hog and make a huge bit of an effort like today when I decided that I wanted to have some spaghetti . . . and I wanted a tomato based sauce, but didn't want to just open a jar . . . but again, I didn't want to have to spend eons of time getting what I wanted!
This sauce fit the bill perfectly. Honey and garlic are natural partners . . . so are honey and tomatoes . . . garlic and tomatoes . . . why not combine the three?
What a beautiful marriage of flavours . . . delicious tomatoes, sweet honey, some good balsamic, mellow garlic . . . green herbs . . . parsley, basil, mint . . . and a tiny bit of seasoning . . .
This was fabulous and settled my craving just nicely.
*Spaghetti with a Honeyed Tomato Sauce*
Serves 4
This is wonderful. A bit spicy. A bit garlicky. A bit herby. A hint of sweetness . . . and a whole lot of deliciousness!
2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS minced garlic
1/2 tsp crushed chili flakes (or to taste)
1 (350g) jar of Passata Rustico (crushed tomatoes, about 2 1/2 cups)
1 TBS good quality Balsamic Vinegar
1 TBS liquid honey
a handful of fresh parsley, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
a very large handful of fresh basil leaves, cut chiffonade (see note below, about 1/2 cup)
1 TBS freeze dried mint leaves (alternately about 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped)
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound of spaghetti, cooked to al dente
Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
Fill a large pot with water. Salt generously and place over a high flame to bring to the boil.
Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic. Cook, stirring just until it begins to turn golden. Add the tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, honey and chili flakes. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a slow simmer and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the meantime cook the spaghetti to al dente according to directions on package, drain well. Stir the fresh herbs into the sauce and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Stir in the hot spaghetti, tossing to coat it with the sauce. Serve immediately along with some Parmesan Cheese for grating on top.
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