Gen's Quick, Fresh and Delicious Tomato Sauce
Why I Love This Recipe
FEATURING: Garlic, eggplant, zucchini, and basil (kale and/or carrots work great too)
This is a quite a quick and easy tomato sauce that I adapted from Veganomicon cookbook (p.193) but make with real tomatoes instead of canned ones (28 ounce can). I love to make as it is really easy, quick and it smells absolutely amazing. You can leave out the eggplant and zucchini and/or add other veggies you have at hand (kale, etc.) - the eggplant/zuke is just one of my personal favorite combo for this recipe. The nuts are optional but really add a nice creamy texture to this pasta sauce.
FYI, you can add 1/4 cup of vodka if you want when adding the thyme. I rarely do now but used to when I made it for university students/friends before!
Ingredients You'll Need
2 tsp oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced (approx. 4 tsp or 2 large garlic cloves)
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 zucchini, chopped into small cubes (approx. 1 cup)
1/4 eggplant, chopped into small cubes (approx. 1 cup)
4 cups of fresh tomatoes, cubes (approx. 2-3 large tomatoes)
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
Pepper, to taste
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup fresh basil, plus a little extra for garnish
Directions
1. Heat a pan over medium heat. When hot, add the oil. After a few seconds, add the garlic and crushed red pepper and sauté for about 1 minute, until fragrant, being careful not to burn.
2. Add the zucchini and eggplant and sauté about 5-10 minutes, until the veggies are tender.
3. Add the tomatoes, thyme, oregano, salt and black pepper (and vodka if using). Cover and turn heat up a bit to bring to a simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. With the back of your wooden spoon or with a potato masher, try to smash the tomatoes as much as you can.
4. In a blender, add the almonds and a few spoonfuls of tomato sauce. Blend well (until creamy and only a little bit grainy). Add almond mixture to the sauce and mix. Add the basil to the sauce, mix well. Serve on cooked pasta and garnish with basil (optional).
