Last year, I attended a live demonstration at a recently opened bistro in Hyderabad where the Chef showed us how to make fresh pasta. I have attempted to make fresh pasta in the past and I loved it. It was nice to interact with the Chef, ask questions and get answers for best techniques, ingredients, etc. We were served a pasta in a basic Marinara Sauce for which the chef gave us a rough recipe. What makes me want to cry is most of these recipes for sauces, need to be cooked for hours and hours and simmered and have all kinds of fussy ingredients. No doubt they taste fabulous, but I am nothing if not a cook who wants to always cheat!
There is nothing I loathe more than standing and stirring for hours. Even when a special celebration meal with several dishes is
So here is my version of a quick Marinara, ready in under 20 minutes, and tastes fabulous (even if i say so myself). I know a lot of cooks blanch tomatoes and peel the skin off and I do it too sometimes, but not this time, this is a quick sauce. I used local desi tomatoes, if you are using the Roma variety, you may need to blanch and peel the skin off as it is thicker than the skin of country variety of tomatoes.
Fusili Pasta in a Quick Marinara Sauce
2 cups cooked fusili (or any other pasta of choice) pasta {Cook according to packet instructions in salted water, drain and reserve some of the water}
3-4 medium sized tomatoes, roughly chopped (I used regular desi tomatoes)
1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 pods of garlic, smashed
1 teaspoon each of sugar, red chilli powder/ red chilli flakes, dried/ fresh oregano and dried/ fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup of grated cheese (I used cheddar, parmesan is also good)
1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts (use almonds to substitute)
a small sprig of basil leaves
Put the chopped tomato, garlic, onion and 1/4 cup of water in a blender and pulse till smooth.
Heat the olive oil in a pan and tip over the pureed tomatoes. Add the red chilli powder / flakes, oregano and basil and half the salt and pepper, cover and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring a couple of times in between.
Taste the sauce and add the remaining salt and pepper if needed. Adjust the seasoning according to your taste. Turn off the flame and cool for a couple of minutes.
Toss in the cooked pasta, stir and add the cheese.
Serve out into serving bowls, top with fresh basil and a sprinkling of toasted pine nuts. Eat when it is still warm.
This sauce can be refrigerated and stored after completely being cooled in an air tight box for upto 1 week. Makes for a good pasta / pizza sauce and also as a sandwich spread.
Escapades 
Love the picture…am drooling and can almost taste the pine nuts!
cheers!
thank you! Pine nuts are my favourite and I am sad we don’t get the shelled ones in India as easily
Love this!
I hate these sauces which require hours of cooking because “hello, we are Indians and gas is expensive here!”