Napoletana Sauce - Versatility...

There is nothing more soothing than a hot bowl of pasta. Napoletana Sauce is incredibly versatile and you will find I will use it often in my recipes. Make a big pot of it and freeze it in portions - you will not regret it I promise you.

This recipe I gleaned about 20 years ago from a book called Mamma Vittoria's Pasta Cookbook.

I use fresh home grown tomatoes where I can otherwise I use canned from Australia ('cause I am Australian if you hadn't worked that out). The garlic is strong and aromatic and is also grown in my own garden. Please do not buy garlic from China, there are questions about the fertilizers they use and the effects on our health. If you can grow your own or buy local produce.

The basil is also home grown and if out of season I always have plenty of leaves that I have dried. Parsley is forever abundant in my garden.

Ingredients:
4 cups of peeled tomatos (canned in their own juice is fine if fresh is not available)
3 cloves of garlic crushed
1 tbsp chopped parsley finely chopped
2 basil leaves chopped
2 tbsp light olive oil (or sunflower oil)
1 cup tomato paste
Water

Method:
1. Puree tomatoes in their juice (I use a stick blender but pushing them through a sieve works ok too)
2. Add the oil to a large pot and heat on a medium heat
3. Add crushed garlic and cook until aromatic and golden
4. Add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes
5. Add tomato paste and mix well
6. Add water to at least 4 fingers above mixture
7. Stir in herbs
8. Bring to boil then simmer for about 60 minutes
9. The sauce should have thickened
10. Add salt and pepper to taste

Hint: If the sauce is a little tart sprinkle 1/4 tsp of sugar into the sauce