Plain and simple pasta arribiata

The easiest and best pasta-sauce ever, and a long time friend

This is what I make when I feel really un-inspired, or when the fridge is empty and the food stores are closed. I always try to keep it boiling for around half an hour to make the sweet, deep taste of the tomatoes come through. Also, boiling the tomatoes for this long, increases the lycopene content and making it more healthy in many ways. The only down side is that the vitamin-C level decreases, so sometimes I add raw cherry tomatoes just before serving. Or you can just have a salad on the side or a kiwi for dessert 😉

Arribiata_passion_for_lime

How to:

  • a couple of cloves of garlic (fresh)
  • lots of chopped chili
  • some chopped onion if you have
  • some nice quality tomato paste if you have

fry gently in olive oil until translucent

  • add a glass of tomato passata or a couple of tins/cans of tomatoes
  • lots of fresh or dried herbs; oregano, thyme, basil (if fresh, leave the basil and oregano til the end of the cooking-time)
  • a pinch of sugar
  • salt and pepper

Boil for as long as you wish. The longer you boil, the deeper the tomato-taste.

  • swirl some nice peppery olive oli on the top before seving

Serve with pasta (I normally use penne, but spaghetti was all I had when making it this time), lots of grated parmesan and pepper. If you have a nice chili-oil, I would put that on the table as well. Some people (like me) just can’t get it hot enough 😉

Easy_spicy_arribiata_passionforlime

 

Enjoy!

-Line

Spicy meatballs in tomato sauce

Small spicy meatballs in a tasty tomato sauce

This makes a large portion of meatballs, but I always freeze half the quantity. The first half we had for dinner a few weeks ago, with pasta and lots of grated parmesan. Today, I didn’t feel like cooking, so I took the pre-made meatballs out of the freezer in the morning, and reheated them in the oven in the afternoon, mixing in big chunks of mozzarella and lots of basil leaves. I made an easy rucola salad- mixing it with lemon-scented olive oil and Maldon salt and pepper, and heated up some frozen baguettes. Easy, tasty, delicious!

Spicy meatballsMeatballs

  • 1 kg minced meat
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 3 Tbsp breadcrumbs
  • 1,5 tsp salt + pepper
  • 1 tsp dried paprika
  • 1/2 tsp chilli powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, ground in a pestle and mortar
  • chopped oregano, rosemary and thyme, or dried if you don’t have fresh.

Mix all the ingredients, then mix in the meat. Make small meatballs with wet fingers, then brown them all over in a frying pan with olive oil (a few at the time). When browned, put in the pre-cooked tomato sauce and cook until ready.

Tomato sauce

  • 1 clove of garlic, gently fried in olive oil
  • about 1 kg tomato passata, or whole cherry tomatoes from a box or tin, organic if possible
  • a pinch of chilli
  • salt and pepper
  • a pinch of sugar
  • a couple of teaspoons of balsamic vinagre
  • some organic vegetable stock, I use the one from Renee Voltair

Let all the ingredients boil carefully with a lid on for an hour or so (you might need to add a bit of water so it doesn’t dry out). Then add:

  • fresh oregano
  • fresh basil
  • a swirl of good olive oil

Taste the tomato sauce and check for seasoning.

Add the meatballs.

Serve with rice, pasta, potato wedges, as tapas or in a baguette.

spicy sandwich

Enjoy!

-Line