Can't Cope Pasta Sauce

Mon, 1 November 2021

Aoife McElwain's Can't Cope Pasta Sauce

Makes enough sauce for 2 bowls of pasta, very easily doubled

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 x tablespoon of olive oil

1 x teaspoon of garlic powder

1 x teaspoon of smoked paprika

1 x 400g tin of chopped tomato

1 x tablespoon of sugar (brown is best)

Juice of half a lemon

Generous pinch of salt and pepper

Method:

• Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan or pot over a medium heat. Medium is good because you don’t want to burn the spices.

• Add the garlic powder and paprika, and mix well into the oil. Fry in the oil for about one minute until you can smell the garlic, and the spices are sizzling a little bit in the oil.

• Chuck in the tin of chopped tomatoes, and stir so the spices are combined.

• Add the sugar, the juice of half a lemon, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. I put in about half a teaspoon of salt and about a quarter teaspoon of pepper, but it can be personal to you - you might want more or less and I’m not going to judge you for it.

• Simmer over a medium heat - you want the sauce to be bubbling lightly but not boiling ferociously - for 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and looks a bit glossy. If you get a little over excited or distracted and you reduce the sauce too much, just add in a little water to get the consistency how you like it.

• Serve with cooked pasta, topped with herbs and cheese.