Pasta Puttanesca

This is one of my family's very favorite pasta sauce. It's very simple to make and tastes fantastic. I love the salty flavors of the kalamata olives, capers and anchovies paired with the sweet roasted tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. This sauce is very versatile and can be used with any pasta, it's also great on chicken or fish as well. I served this pasta with a fresh tossed salad and crusty bread for a delicious and healthy meal.

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes
• 1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
• 1/4 tsp of oregano
• 1/2 tsp of basil
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• 15-20 pitted kalamata olives, loosely chopped
• 1 tbsp capers, loosely chopped
• 2 anchovies, chopped (optional)
• 1 tbsp good balsamic vinegar
• 1 small pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)
• 1-2 tsp sugar
• Shredded Parmesan or Feta cheese, for topping
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• Penne pasta, prepared per instructions
  

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with cooking spray. Take the whole tomatoes from the can, reserving the juices, and place them on the baking sheet. Season the tomatoes with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste and drizzle 1 teaspoon of olive oil over the top then roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the roasted tomatoes in a large bowl then blend them using an immersion blender until thoroughly blended.

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat, add onion and cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 60 seconds, stirring constantly. Next add the blended tomatoes and the reserved juice as well as the remaining ingredients, except for the cheese, fresh basil and parsley. Cover and cook over medium low heat for 1-3 hours. The longer it cooks the better the flavor. Right before serving, add the fresh chopped basil and mix thoroughly.

Cook the pasta per instructions, making sure to season the water with salt. Top the pasta with the sauce then garnish with either Parmesan cheese or Feta cheese and fresh parsley. Enjoy.

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