Pink Mediterranean Pasta Sauce
photo by katew
- Ready In:
- 40mins
- Ingredients:
- 11
- Serves:
-
6
ingredients
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1 lb tomatoes, chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper, chopped (about 8 oz.)
- 1⁄8 - 1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 -3 tablespoons vegetable stock (optional) or 2 -3 tablespoons water (optional)
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 1 lb penne (a 450-500 g box- I mix regular and whole wheat, and I think it tastes best that way)
- coarse salt and black pepper, to serve
directions
- You can make this sauce ahead of time, and it actually tastes better the next day. Only cook enough pasta for the day you are serving it, and serve any leftover sauce with freshly cooked pasta.
- In a skillet, soften the onion in a little water over medium heat. Add the oil and garlic, and saute them, stirring often, till they are starting to caramelize.
- Add the tomatoes, pepper, crushed red pepper and salt/pepper if desired. Raise heat till juices are bubbling. Then turn it down to low and simmer 15-20 minutes, till the bell pepper is well-softened.
- In the meantime, start your pasta cooking in a large pot.
- Transfer the mixture to a food processor and blend, adding a few tablespoons of stock or water as needed to make a smooth sauce. Return to the skillet, stir in the basil, cover and keep warm.
- Drain pasta and return it to the pot. Pour in the sauce and stir to coat. Serve with a sprinkle of coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, and a salad.
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Reviews
-
DELICIOUS! What a great recipe-tastes so light and fresh. The idea of blending is brilliant-stops those picky eaters from eating around the veggies, if you get what I mean. I took the advice of Engrossed and used my immersion blender-fast and easy! Thank you for a great recipe!!! Made for the Think Pink Tag Game In Honor of Breast Cancer Awareness, October 2008.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
A teenager who loves to cook- weird or what? But yes, it's one of my passions! To me cooking is like an art form- there's always something new and exciting to try, and there are constantly more ideas running around in my head than I know what to do with.
Now, to update this page- a little task I haven't done in about two years!! Much remains the same as when I joined what seems like "forever ago": I'm a vegan with many passions: music, yoga, volunteer work, healthy/tasty food (the healthy vs. the tasty seem to run in cycles, haha) - and perhaps most of all, I love the written world. My dearest happy moments are when I am reading, writing, and feeling inspired. I'm in my first year studying at Mount Allison university for a B.A., major in English.
However, since this is RecipeZaar, I must note that I'm equally obsessive about food!! Six years have passed since I was twelve and sort-of accidentally converted my family to veganism. Yes, even dad and little bro now greedily dig into their tofu shepherd pie and soy ice cream (well, clearly, one AFTER the other). I'm always on the lookout for foods that will please, and maybe even be healthy for, all of us! Now that I'm in uni and living with my aunt, uncle and cousin in New Brunswick, I still try to help with the cooking a bit. My sweetie cousin, Bilious Pigeon here on Zaar, is a terrific kitchen buddy. We share a penchant for fine coffee. Thankfully, my family here has turned mostly to the vegan side and that makes university life sooo much easier!
My posted recipes, those I haven't invented, might come from Vegnews magazine, another website, one of our awesome vegan cookbooks, or friends- but it's virtually guaranteed that I've modified them at least in some way, and if from a book or show, I always acknowledge the original source. After all, I'd want someone to do the same for me.
Since returning to the public education system after eight years of homeschooling, I don't have quite as much time in the kitchen as I used to. But I don't let that stifle my creativity! One of my favorite activities is in the summer when I get together with another cousin ~Harriet~, who's also here on Zaar, and we cook as much as we want. Good times!
One more thing about me. I'm a Zaar game addict. And proud of it, and I'd advise anyone to join who would like more reviews on their own recipes, not to mention spending time with fun people and trying recipes they might not find otherwise. Please Zmail me with any questions or just to chat.
Hope you enjoy, and are inspired by, my ideas!
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