Dinner Tonight, Lunch Tomorrow

The first time I tried to make a simple, chunky tomato sauce it turned out strangely sweet, and not quite right.  The second time I tried it, I left the hot oil on the stove while I got distracted on my computer (the internet really does diminish one's ability to focus; did you read that article in the New York Times?) and nearly started a fire.  The third time was closer, but the sauce-to-pasta proportion was off.  The fourth time turned out to be the charm as I succeeded in successfully cranking out a meal without a recipe.  This is a very simple dish, the quality of which highly depends on your ingredients.  And that's good for us newbs because we can control the ingredients; just go to the farmer's market.



All you do for this is heat up some EVOO in your pan.  Watch it because the oil will ignite if you leave it there.  Next add some minced garlic and fry that up for a second.  Then chop up some tomatoes, add those.  At this point, you really just let it hang out.  Adding salt, pepper, and your herbs.  Obviously fresh basil is ideal, but I used dried as I hadn't been to the store.  A touch of thyme is also good.  Then, simmer to desired chunkiness, and cook the pasta when you're ready (try spinach or whole wheat).  Mix it together, top with parmesan or Romano cheese, and you're good to go.  Dinner tonight, lunch tomorrow!