So Fresh Pasta "Sauce"

I was in the mood for pasta the other day but I did not want to just open a can or jar and dump some sauce on it.  When I started looking for sauce recipes, it suddenly seemed that the only recipes out there involved canned ingredients and that just did not sound appetizing to me.  Therefore, I decided to pick up some fresh ingredients and come up with something of my own.

I absolutely love zucchini so that was a must when it came to my pasta.  Additionally, I picked up some organic heirloom cherry tomatoes, onion and garlic, Kalamata olives and a pound of organic, hormone and antibiotic-free, grass fed beef.  I combined all of these with a few dried spices that I had on hand and whipped up a bit of magic in the kitchen.

Making a pasta dish using fresh ingredients takes a considerable amount more time than opening a jar and dumping it in a pan.  Anything fresh takes a lot more time than processed food in a jar.  The flavor and nutritional benefits are definitely worth the extra time.  When you make real food for yourself and your family, you will never be sorry for doing so.  Even your veggie haters will love the flavors in this pasta dish!

"Sauce" is ready to toss with pasta!

So Fresh Pasta “Sauce”

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 pound cherry tomatoes
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 small zucchini diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce or anchovy paste
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ cup diced Kalamata olives
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 16 ounces of your favorite pasta (I used mixed veggie rigatoni)
• Optional:  Fresh Parmesan cheese to taste

Directions

1. Combine olive oil, garlic, fish sauce, red pepper flakes and oregano in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Finely chop tomatoes.  (If you have a food processor, process until finely chopped but not pureed.  If, like me, you do not have a food processor, you can first remove any stems then cut all tomatoes in half.  After that, use kitchen shears to finely chop tomatoes in a bowl.)
3. Place chopped tomatoes in a sieve or fine mesh strainer and allow liquids to drain into a bowl below.
4. Using a rubber or wooden spatula, gently press on solids to extract more liquids.
5. In a large pot, cook pasta until al dente then drain and set aside.
6. In a 12-inch skillet, brown ground beef.
7. Add onion and zucchini to beef and cook until onion is slightly translucent.
8. Add olive oil mixture to beef mixture and cook for 2 – 3 minutes.
9. Add liquid drained from tomatoes to beef mixture and allow to simmer until liquid is reduced by half.
10. Add tomato pulp, olives and parsley, mix well and allow to cook for 2 – 3 minutes.
11. Remove skillet from heat then combine meat mixture and pasta and toss gently to combine.
12. Serve immediately.

Chopped, unstrained tomatoes.

 

Pressed and liquid strained into bowl below.

Browned beef just after adding onions and zucchini.

What is your favorite way to prepare pasta?  Comment below and let me know!