Pasta Perfection

 
So the Christmas holidays are coming to a close. My sister and I move back to school tomorrow and launch ourselves right into a new semester. Although it isn't always pleasant, it is often a fact of life that as a family grows older, it often grows apart. Luckily for me, I have two wonderful parents who have dedicated their lives to holding our family together. In my opinion, as Sarah and I have grown older, we haven't grown apart from our family, just simply more independent. It's a fact of life- children grow up and there is nothing we can do about it. Since the early parts of childhood, my family has always found time to bring us together at least once a day over the dinner table. This single fact is probably what has given me the love of good food and family that I have. No matter how hard or busy our day was, we always found time to sit around the dinner table as a family- not on TV trays in the living room, not microwave dinners on our own.

The breakdown of the family in today's society is something that saddens me. There is something wrong to see to many families that seem to have it all (a house with a dog, a highly paying job, etc.), yet can't grasp the concept of reading a bedtime story or a marriage without a pre-nup. I think there is something amazing about bringing a family together nightly at the dinner table, that creates a bond like no other.

Get involved in the kitchen and find something for everyone to help out with. Before I was old enough to actually help out with dinner, my mom had a basket under the sink of old muffin tins and measuring cups for me to play with while she worked. All of us were always there- chopping, cleaning, setting the table, whatever was needed. It gave us a time to relax and forget about what all had happened that day- the things that made us cry or become stressed out; but it also gave us a time to share the wonderful things- an A in science class or getting a part in the school play.

Pasta is something that has been uniting families since 5000BC. Originating in China, pasta has spread across the globe, now existing in approximately 600 different varieties. There is a deep love in my heart for this Italian family staple.

Although it may take a little extra time, homemade tomato sauce is worth the extra "love" put into it. This sauce recipe is inspired by the recipe my Aunt Liz has used for years and has proved to be the family favorite. For those of you who like my father believe this to be a "faux" sauce because it doesn't comes out of a jar with absolutely no texture, please think about the anatomy of a sauce: it is made from real live vegetables. Fresh vegetables and herbs aren't naturally silky and paste-like; an extreme amount of processing, preservatives, and thickeners go into these types of sauces to make them into what we Americans call "spaghetti sauce." Please don't be offended. When time is of the essence, a good jarred tomato sauce can go a long way on some hot pasta; but when you have a little extra time to dedicate to this wholesome family favorite, I guarantee you'll love it.

Classic Tomato Sauce


Ingredients:

5 cans of diced tomatoes (unseasoned)
1 large onion
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 c red wine
4 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons sugar
5 springs of rosemary
2 stems of basil (or approximately 10 leaves)
*chicken stock (only if needed)

Game Time:

Begin by heating approximately 3 tablespoons olive oil in the the bottom of a large skillet. Dice the onion and sauteé until caramelized. Add the 2 tablespoons of butter and continue to cook until melted (adds additional flavor to the sauce). Sauteé the minced garlic. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste.

Strain 2 of the 5 cans of tomatoes. Add all 5 cans of tomatoes to the onions and garlic (2 strained, 3 with juices). Add wine.
Bring to a slow boil and add the springs of rosemary and basil (do not remove herbs from their stems because you will remove them in the end: feel free to use an herb sachet if available).

Simmer on low for 45 minutes to 1 hour in order to thicken and soften vegetables. If sauce begins to become too dry add chicken stock in 1/4 cup increments.

Remove herbs and discard. Sprinkle in sugar and 1/4 cup olive oil. Stir and use spatula to break up larger pieces of tomato if desired.

Remove from heat and serve over your favorite pasta (I recommend angel hair).

Hope you all have a wonderful time creating and eating this dish with your loved ones this holiday season as much as I have.