Thursday, June 23, 2011

Easiest Pasta 'Sauce'

It’s been a busy week.

Z’s in NYC this week for work, and I’ve had events/dinners/graduations/you name it every day after work this week (except for tonight, in which I plan to sit on my couch, drink wine and watch “The Real Housewives of New York City” like the cultured person that I am). But let’s get back the craziness of this week.

When time’s short, dinner should be easy. And dinner doesn’t get much easier than boxed pasta with a few canned goods and spices – and, believe it or not, it also doesn’t get much more delicious (at least, for the ingredients you’re using and the short amount of time you have).

Busy weeks call for the Easiest Pasta “Sauce” recipe.


Easiest Pasta "Sauce"
Yields: 2-3 servings
-2 cups canned diced tomatoes 
-8 kalamata olives, roughly chopped
-1 tsp. minced garlic
-2-3 tbsp. olive oil
-Crushed red pepper
-Dried parsley
-Salt and black pepper, to taste
-Splash of lemon juice (or white wine)

Directions:
1.) In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil on medium heat. Add tomatoes and olives, and stir; let cook on medium to low heat for 2-3 minutes. 
2.) Add garlic, and season with crushed red pepper, parsley, salt and black pepper; stir. Add lemon juice, and cook for 30 seconds more. 
3.) Let simmer for 3-5 minutes; pour over pasta and top with remaining olive oil and some grated Parmesan cheese. 


Simple, tasty, and comforting – the ideal dinner to get you through a busy week.

*Side note: If you have leftover canned diced tomatoes, I’d suggest putting them in a sealed container in the freezer – they last for a few weeks, and are great to have on hand for future last-minute dinners.

1 comment:

  1. I love that this pasta dish is simple to make but still looks so delicious!

    ReplyDelete