Sugo

Tiny Italian open air restaurant, sitting by the window on a warm summer's evening, the aroma of garlic wafting out of the kitchen, a glass of chianti and a bowl of spaghetti with red sauce, sprinkled with Parmesan. Someday we will be able to do this again. In the meantime, there's me and my kitchen and my tiny kitchen table.

I recall myself saying at the start of many winter seasons, "this is the year that I'll perfect a red sauce!" Somehow I don't seem to get around to this, and I'm not sure why. I'm not looking to make a complex sauce, just a simple sugo with minimal ingredients to be able to throw together a nice plate of pasta for dinner on a moment's notice. So, as with all things pandemic, this is the year. 

I browsed a few recipes before landing on this one, and I think this is really solid. The key is using good ingredients - mostly everything should be fresh. It's ok to used canned tomatoes, but make sure there's nothing funky in the can with the tomatoes on the ingredients list. Having a list that reads "Ingredients: tomatoes" is best. You can use either diced or pureed, based on your preference. I like pureed. Tonight I used the brand Cento. I may try a couple others to see if I can taste a difference. Another important element is adding the cooked pasta to the sauce once it's done. In American style, we would heap pasta onto a plate and then top it with red sauce. It does make a difference to let the pasta simmer in the sauce for a bit. Much tastier. 

Sugo

4 tablespoons olive oil

couple shakes chili flakes (optional)

4-5 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped a bit

1 small bunch parsley, chopped finely

1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond crystal salt

1 28 oz can tomatoes, diced or pureed

A few leaves of fresh basil, whole

pepper to taste

parmesan to taste

1. Put on a pot of water to bring to a boil for the pasta. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Try to time it so the pasta is done around the same time as the sauce. Otherwise, drain the pasta and reserve some pasta water in case you need it at the end to moisten the pasta/sauce combo.

2. Heat a skillet (not a pot) to medium high heat. Add the olive oil.

3. Add the chili flakes and garlic, cook until garlic is just starting to brown.

4. Turn the heat to high and add the parsley, salt and tomatoes. Put the cover on to contain any splatter, about 30 seconds.

5. Remove the cover. Keep at a healthy simmer until the sauce thickens about 7 minutes. At the end of the cooking time, add the basil leaves. 

6. When the pasta is done, transfer with thongs or slotted spoon into the sauce and blend. Let the pasta and sauce meld for a minute or two. 

7. Serve with Parmesan and more fresh parsley.