Ingredients
For the tomato sauce:
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1 x 700 g jar organic pureed tomatoes (passata)
- 2 tablespoons crème fraîche
- freshly ground pepper, to taste
for the pasta (optional add-ins):
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced (300 g)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 30 g slivered almonds, lightly toasted (1/4 cup)
- 100 g baby spinach
- 500 g dried pasta of choice
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat, add onions, and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, oregano, thyme and salt. Cook 1 minute, stirring, then add the pureed tomato. Cover, increase heat and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer, without the lid, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. NOTE: The sauce should simmer without spitting, reduce heat slightly, if needed.
- The sauce should thicken and reduce somewhat after 20 minutes of slow-cooking. Stir in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Cook it on simmer for another 10 minutes, then stir in the crème fraîche. Season with pepper and more salt, to taste.
- As the sauce cooks, prepare the roasted sweet potato. Preheat the oven to 425°F / 220°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss the sweet potato in 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange in an even layer and roast for 25 minutes, tossing half way through.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente, then drain, reserving 1 cup (250 ml) of the pasta cooking water and return the pasta to the pot.
- To finish the pasta sauce, stir in the baby spinach, adding a little pasta water to thin, if desired. Stir in the sweet potato and then transfer the sauce to the pot with the cooked pasta. Stir to combine, adding a little more pasta water, if desired.
- Serve into bowls, top it with some roasted almonds, (plus parmesan cheese, if desired) and enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
- Make it vegan: skip the crème fraîche or trade it out for a plant-based cream alternative.
- I recommend my favourite allrounder olive oil for this recipe. It’s fantastic for cooking, roasted and for making salad dressings.