Ballin' on a Budget: Three Ingredient Tomato Sauce

Homies. This recipe is truly a magic trick. You turn a can of tomatoes, a half a stick of butter & half of an onion into the richest, dreamiest pasta sauce you’ve ever had. YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE TO CHOP ANYTHING! All there is to it is to open a can and combine all of the ingredients in a pan- let them simmer away for 45 minutes and you.are.in.bidnezzzzz.

The key here is to use niiiiice canned tomatoes. San Marzano are a non-negotiable here, as the quality of San Marzano tomatoes is what makes this sauce so simple and good. They are typically a few bucks more than your average mass produced canned tomatoes, but even with a pound of pasta this recipe comes together for way less than 10 bucks.

San Marzano tomatoes are much like Champagne in that they come from a specific region- San Marzano. They’re grown in the volcanic soil at the base of Mt. Vesuvius which somehow cuts the acidity. They also have thicker walls and fewer seeds than a traditional Roma tomato, which fills them with flavor. They are expertly cared for and picked at peak ripeness so you can be positive that every can of San Marzanos you pick up will be well, perfetto.

As always, you can check out the video for this recipe HERE on my IGTV!

(I can take no credit for this recipe as it is well well known and exploded the internet about 8 years ago- I’m just reminding you about it in case you’ve never heard of it!)

Three Ingredient Tomato Sauce
makes enough for 1 lb pasta

28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes, whole peeled
1/2 stick butter
1/2 medium onion

Place all of the ingredients in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and bring to a simmer (yes, leave the onion halved!). Allow to simmer for 45 minutes- after fifteen minutes, use the back of a spoon to press the tomatoes against the side of the pan to help them along in their breaking-down process.

Boil water in a large stockpot for the pasta and heavily salt it. I’m talking like three enormous pinches. Maybe four. Cook the pasta until al dente and add one ladle full of the starchy, salty water to the sauce just before tossing the pasta with the sauce to serve- this helps the sauce stick to the pasta! Top with shaved parmesan if you’re into that sorta thing!

xo,
Audrey

Summer Zucchini Pappardelle

This is not the prettiest thing you will ever eat. 

It's the kind've beauty that your eyes won't understand, but your tastebuds will. 

Sort of like when you have a new crush and you're showing them off to your best friend but their few random instagram pictures really don't do them justice and your friend is just no understanding what your heart knows. 

Or like when you go to show someone the funniest Youtube video of all time and all of the sudden it's fallen flat and you're sitting there in the discomfort of waiting for it to be funny. You know it, but everyone else doesn't. 

It's secretly the most beautiful thing you'll eat this week. 

I made it with butter (grass fed, because I'm still bougie about butter) because I'm not always vegan. I really really like creamy salty butter. So much so that I think it belongs on a pile of sautéed vegetables that I'm trying to pass off as pasta. You can sub the butter for more olive oil and it will still be yummy!

Summer Zucchini Pappardelle
serves 2

2 zucchini
2 cloves garlic
1 head baby broccoli
1 c cherry tomatoes
1 ear corn
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 TBSP butter
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
8-12 leaves basil

Prep the zucchini- using a vegetable peeler (lots of people will tell you that you need to go buy a crazy contraption to make zucchini noodles but I'm here to tell you that's nonsense and I made pretty bomb zucchini pappardelle with a vegetable peeler I got in the Target dollar section in 2006.) peel long ribbons of the zucchini (skin and all) to the seedy part, then flip it over and repeat on all four sides. You can use the seeds but I don't because they kind've fall apart and don't hold together like long noodles should. Stack the widest noodles and cut lengthwise. 

Smash the garlic and heat it over medium heat with the olive oil in a sauté pan. Chop the broccoli lengthwise as well, into 1/4 in segments. After the garlic is pretty aromatic (about one minute), add the broccoli and cover. Allow to steam for about five minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Chop half the cherry tomatoes in half, leave the other half whole. Add all the tomatoes to the pan and cover again, lowering heat to medium low continuing to steam the broccoli and heat the tomatoes until they start to wrinkle and burst. 

Cut the corn off the cob, then use a spoon to 'milk' the starchy liquid from the cob. 

Bring the heat back up to medium and add the corn, corn juice, zucchini ribbons, salt, pepper, red pepper, and butter to the pan. Cover and allow to steam for five minutes, tossing occasionally. Add basil and cook down just until the basil wilts and the zucchini is 'al dente'.

If you want more greens! Add them when you add the basil! A handful of arugula would be delightful- or spinach!

xo
Audrey