Saturday Supper

The weather is beautiful! Therefore, I'm not inside as frequently and I haven't posted in a while. Too busy running, fixing up the yard, washing the car, and in the middle of all that...trying to find a job. I've decided to bite the proverbial "bullet" and apply for a New York teaching certificate. I need to give teaching another try. Oh, and my great friend A just gave me a link to a teacher-headhunter service to help find private schools to work in. I'm up for anything now...this headhunter might even be useful if we end up in Germany for a year, they have placement services in Europe!

Now for the tasty concoction I made for us last night! I've become slightly more aware of how much I'm spending at the market so pasta seems to be beginning to make an appearance on our plates more frequently. Last night I made my own version of Puttanesca, a spicy tomato sauce that was traditionally prepared by the "ladies" of the bordellos. In researching this recipe, I realized I need to make 2 very drastic modifications: 1)no black olives-B can't stand them 2)no sardines--I'm trying to be a better vegan and I don't think B would eat it if he found out they were in the dish. I modified Emeril's recipe and added a little of my own veggie-friendly touch. The result was FANTASTIC!

Vegan Pasta Puttanesca
olive oil
1 c finely chopped onion
6 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz can whole tomatoes
3-4 fresh tomatoes, diced
2 T tomato paste
1 t red pepper flakes
1-2 t dried basil
1-2 t dried oregano
2 T capers
2 T sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch fresh arugula, chopped
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

1. in lg pot or skillet, heat olive oil over med/high heat. add onion and saute until soft & lightly carmelized (about 6 min).
2. add garlic, cook about 2 min.
3. add tomatoes-sundried tomatoes.
4. bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over low heat for about 45 min.
5. season with salt & pepper. add arugula.
6. toss in 1 lb pasta (we had penne)