Tomato and basil sauce with spaghetti

A rich tomato sauce speckled with herbs is an easy to prepare all time favourite pasta sauce. This Italian dish is prepared using local products. Whip up a quick pasta dish and spoon this delicious sauce over it.

Ingredients

Serves 4

Preparation time: 30 minutes

3 tbsps vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely diced

6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 tsp vinegar, 1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp dried basil

½- tsp oregano

1/8 tsp black pepper

Salt to taste

1 sausage, cooked and diced (optional)

Method:

1. In a saucepan, add the oil, onions and garlic. Cook until soft and slightly brown. Add the tomatoes and 2 tbsps of warm water. Stir, cover and cook until soft.

2. Add the vinegar, sugar, basil, oregano, black pepper and salt. Stir well and cook over low heat for 20 mins. Stir occasionally and add 1/8-cup water to prevent it from sticking.

3. Serve spooned over pasta with sausage or ham pieces, if desired.

Cooking tips:

1. Cutting tomatoes into chunks makes them soften faster and more smoothly. Avoid adding a lot of water before the tomatoes soften; otherwise they harden and boil.

2. Vary the recipe by adding chicken or meat chunks to the final serving. For a hot and spicy touch, add a pinch of cayenne pepper at the cooking stage.

3. Serve this sauce with various types of pasta including spaghetti, macaroni or spiral.