Pasta with Thin
Marinara Sauce

Italy's love affair with tomatoes started in the 1700s when two Jesuit priests brought tomatoes back from South America. Spaghetti noodles and a delicate oregano tomato sauce makes this a perfect light supper for two. Fresh oregano is essential to this dish, as are the fresh tomatoes. To make this a real treat, order real Italian pasta made in Abruzzo, located east of Rome, Italy. The pure mountain spring water and salty Adriatic breezes make this the finest dried pasta available. Rustichella d'Abruzzo Pasta is available from www.zingermans.com.

Tomato Sauce

    3 tablespoons olive oil
    2 garlic cloves, crushed in a garlic press
    1 cup chopped yellow onion
    1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
    2 pounds vine-ripened gourmet tomatoes, diced
    ½ cup water
    1 teaspoon granulated sugar
    3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
    1 teaspoon dried parsley
    1 teaspoon Italian herb mix
    ⅛ teaspoon salt
    ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

    1 (12-ounce) package spaghetti

1.  Heat olive oil in a 5-quart sauté pan. Fry the garlic and onions        
     until translucent. Stir in the tomato paste, diced tomatoes,   
     water, sugar and oregano.

2.  Simmer over low heat for 25 minutes. Stir occasionally and
     keep covered with a splatter guard.

3.  Strain the sauce through a large metal sieve; pressing the
     tomatoes until only the skins remain, discard skins.

4.  Bring water to a boil in a 12-quart stockpot. Cook the noodles
     with a little salt and olive oil. If you are serving garlic bread,
     place in the oven at this time.

5.  Pour the strained sauce back into the pan and add the parsley
     and Italian herb mix. Simmer on low until thick. Season with
     salt and pepper to taste.

     Hint: Do you prefer cooking with a wooden spoon but dislike
     discoloring all your wooden spoons? You can order a stirring
     spoon from The Baker's Catalogue® which looks like a
     wooden spoon but is made of a stain-resistant fiberglass
     composite. Plum tomatoes are not as sweet, look for vine-
     ripened tomatoes that look like small regular tomatoes with
     stems attached. In the winter, use 2 (14 ½-ounce) cans
     Italian stewed tomatoes and 2 tablespoons Italian herb mix in
     place of oregano and Italian herb mix. Cut the tomatoes into
     smaller pieces with a kitchen shears. Add a ½ cup water and
     then cook until sauce thickens. Don’t strain if you prefer a
     more chunky sauce.

     Makes 2 servings