I had a bunch of ripe tomatoes sitting on my counter and I needed to use them up before they went bad.
And with the week we've had with our little pneumonia boy, I just couldn't do anything fancy...
(That reminds me, I want to apologize for the lack of posts lately and possibly for the next several days! Bjørn, my almost 3 year old, came down with pneumonia last week... we spent a few days in the hospital and we're home now but he's still recovering and it's been a slow road. I am beyond exhausted and the kitchen is just not getting the attention it's used to!)
Anyways, back to this pasta... I have been thinking about trying a fresh spaghetti sauce, instead of using a rich jarred spaghetti sauce, for quite a while and decided this was the perfect time.
And boy was it a winner!
I loved the lightness and brightness of this meal... it is a perfect way to enjoy a hearty winter dish in the spring or summer. We will definitely be having this again whenever we have fresh tomatoes!!
Fresh & Hearty Tomato Pasta Recipe
Ingredients:
1 lb noodles
1 lb ground beef
1/2 large onion, chopped
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2-3 large tomatoes, chopped
fresh chopped basil
fresh chopped italian parsley
freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt & pepper, to taste
Directions:
Cook the noodles according to package directions.
Meanwhile, in a large pan brown the ground beef and onions over medium-high heat until cooked through, seasoning with salt & pepper while they cook. Once the meat is cooked through, drain off any excess fat, if necessary.
Add in the olive oil and sauté the garlic and red pepper flakes for a few seconds before stirring in the oregano & tomatoes. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for at least 15 minutes, allowing the tomatoes to sauté and break down a bit.
When the noodles are done, drain them well and toss them into the pan with the sauce. Stir well to coat and toss in the basil, parsley & cheese. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper and red pepper flakes if needed. Serve with additional parmesan cheese, if you'd like!
”Come share in the tomato love at the Tomato Love Recipe Exchange, hosted by Gimme Some Oven & Bake Your Day, sponsored this week by Pappardelle’s. Also visit Recipe for Change to learn more about how to support tomato farmers.”
