Spaghetti with an Heirloom Tomato Sauce

Last night Ben and I decided that we wanted to go out for dinner, a date night on a weeknight. It would be fun, and we don't do it very often. Some unforeseen things happened so we then decided it would be just as fun, healthier and cheaper to just make something. My mom bought me great tomatoes the other day, they were mini heirloom, yellows, reds, even purple tomatoes. We decided to make a simple tomato sauce and some spaghetti.


It turned out just as good as in a restaurant, and it took about 20 minutes total to make. Ben and I were both part of the club last night, that is, the clean plate club.

Heirloom Tomato Sauce
1/2 tbs olive oil
1 small yellow onion (finely chopped)
1 pint mini heirloom tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
4 fresh basil leaves

1/2 lbs spaghetti
shaved Parmesan cheese to taste

In a pan over medium high heat sautee the onion in the oil until translucent, add in all of the herbs except the basil. While the onions are cooking down start heating the water for the spaghetti and half all of the tomatoes. Once the onions are translucent add the tomatoes and reduce the heat to medium. Stir once in while. Tomatoes should start breaking down about after about 10 minutes in the pan. You don't want them to end up completely mushy, just until they start loosing their shape.


Place 1/2 lbs dried spaghetti into water once it has come to a boil, add salt to water, 1/2 tbs or so. Once spaghetti is cooked according to the package instructions, drain.


Tear the basil leaves right into the sauce, you want to do this right before adding the spaghetti into the sauce so that the leaves don't wilt, and loose that great basil flavor.


Toss spaghetti in with the sauce for about 30 seconds, so that the pasta starts to absorb the flavors of the sauce, plate and garnish with as much or as little Parmesan cheese as you like.


I absolutely loved the ease, and taste of this meal. It tasted like the sauce took hours to make, and it wasn't one of those heavy sauces that makes you feel like you gained 10 lbs after the meal. It was just so good. I asked Ben if we could make this once a week from now on.