This is called simple because it is a very basic sauce and contains no meat. I like to use this sauce with dishes already containing some type of meat such as chicken, or ground round for stuffed peppers or meat-stuffed eggplant. Whenever possible, I use ingredients out of my garden for a fresher taste that is also organic. Otherwise, I buy organic for a pure, clean taste. This is like a marinara sauce, is mild, not as rich as what is often called a "traditional" sauce. To make this recipe more hearty and rich, add some tomato paste and water as needed.
In my old world Italian-American family, we generally do not measure ingredients, yet the same "recipes" come out for the most part tasting the same each time. We just get in the habit of feeling how much we need to use, out of habit. I tend to go very heavy on the garlic most the time.
You can add anything to this sauce that you wish: Mushrooms, crushed red hot pepper, other vegetables, more or less garlic, or lemon pepper. You can also add meatballs to this sauce to use on any pasta.
Ingredients
- Two dozen fresh garden tomatoes, chopped and diced
- Spring water, 3/4 cup
- Onion, 1 small or to taste
- Garlic cloves, 4 small or to taste
- Olive oil, 1 tablespoon
- Sugar, one semi-generous dash or to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Green and/or red peppers, optional, to taste
- Handful fresh parseley, chopped
- Fresh basil leaves, 3-4 small, chopped, or to taste
Cook down all ingredients listed up until parsley to desired thickness. Add more water if necessary. Toss in parsley and basil; cook until these are soft and flavor mixes into sauce.
BENCIVENGO'S SIMPLE FRESH GARDEN SALAD w/ ARTICHOKES & RED PEPPER VINEGRETTE
I like my salt to stick primarily with my lettuce more than to the other ingredients so I always add a dash or sprinkle of salt first to the lettuce before adding anything else. Cut and toss in lots of garden tomatoes since they are so good for you and abundant this time of year. Chop about 1/3 of a small onion or more, to taste.
Get a big bowl and fill with fresh red-tipped lettuce. Of course, any other of your favorite lettuces will do! Add a dash of olive oil and mix.
I like my salt to stick primarily with my lettuce more than to the other ingredients so I always add a dash or sprinkle of salt first to the lettuce before adding anything else. Cut and toss in lots of garden tomatoes since they are so good for you and abundant this time of year. Chop about 1/3 of a small onion or more, to taste.
From here add fresh mushrooms rolled in olive oil and black pepper. Then add canned whole artichokes, one or two cans, to taste, soaked first in lemon juice.
Then add fresh red peppers, minced and/or then pressed with garlic press.
Add minced garlic, to taste, pressed.
Add your favorite vinegar, whether red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or even just "plain" white vinegar.
Sprinkle more salt if you wish, to taste.
Nota Bene: My grandmother, Mary (Esposito) Tata, usually used corn or vegetable oil with white vinegar and salt and pepper for a really great tasting dressing when ut of olive oil. It was extraordinarily simple (!) but she mixed just the right amount of each to make it deliciously perfect each time; as a child, it was one of my two favorites. (My other favorite was from an Italian restaurant in town that my family frequented.) Another of my favorite salad dressings consists of olive oil and lemon juice, with salt and pepper. It's really that simple!
One thing I love about not just eating but preparing Italian food is that you can so often follow your whims, improvise, and add and subtract just about anything you want! For instance, if you love anchovies as much as I do, they so totally compliment the olive oil and lemon juice dressing!
It is also fun to realize that you can throw almost any type of cheese at all into almost any type of salad and you can't ever go wrong!
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