Cooking for People Unsure of what a Stove Does: Recipe 6 - Spaghetti with Homemade Marinara

 

I give up.  I have no idea what it is.

     

    Hey there!  Please forgive the conspicuous lack of posts over the last few days; it has been a very weird week between the bank holiday and personal travel.

    Anyway, I'm back with yet another easy recipe; this time its for spaghetti with marinara sauce!

Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:

• Spaghetti (or whatever type of noodle you prefer)
• Tomatoes
• Tofu (1 block)
• Mixed vegetables (your choice; diced)
• Garlic (2-3 cloves)
• Tomato paste
• Salt and Pepper (to taste)
• Oil or butter

I'm not sure why I took this picture yet again...

     First, cook the pasta.  Don't forget to toss it in some oil after its done, or you'll be sad like I was when I realized all my noodles were stuck together in a bowl-shaped brick.

I had some left over, jeez.

     This picture is here because I used butter this time.



     That's pretty much it.

Some people can make cut tomatoes look artsy.
I cannot.

   Next, dice your tomatoes, and collect them in a bowl (including the juice).  If you want chunkier sauce, leave some cut larger.

Pay no attention to the blackened garlic.
Everything is totally perfect here.

     Now, lightly brown your garlic in some oil or butter.  Try to keep a close eye on it, as the taste of burned garlic is very strong.  No, I didn't forget about it and then have to use an excess of black pepper to hide the taste.  How could you possibly think that?

Clearly, this is the most appetizing image on the planet.

     After your garlic is browned, add your vegetables of choice, and crumble the garlic into the pan.  Cook on medium heat until the vegetables are cooked and the tofu is browned (both release water, so it will take some time).  This is also a good time to add some salt and pepper if you are so inclined.

I never realized how yellow cooked tofu looks.

     When the vegetables and tofu are cooked, set them aside.

Those could be bell peppers, and no one would ever know.

     Add a small amount of butter or oil to your pan, then pour in the tomatoes.  You want to use a medium heat, and cook them until the cut tomatoes shrink, and they take on the consistency of thin tomato sauce.  Allow them to boil for about 10 - 15 minutes or so; less on higher heat.

Lets all pretend you can see the tomato paste.

    Once the tomatoes have broken down, add in your tomato paste.  The amount is basically relative to how thick you want your sauce to be, but I used about 3 tablespoons for half a pan of tomatoes.

    When the sauce thickens, add your vegetables in, give it a good hearty stir, and then pour over your noodles.  Enjoy!

Proverb of the Day:

Just because you put a flower in the windowsill, doesn't mean its been watered.

*Source links are included for stock images.
**The background music is from a personal music project in progress.