Special Marinara Sauce

Pasta is my go-to meal when I am in a hurry or come home already starving.
It comes together quickly (especially if I make the sauce ahead of time!), and satisfies my carb craving every time. I love carbs, I breath carbs, especially in the form of noodles. That’s no secret.
Italien pasta dishes never fail to comfort me in a way only Italian food does. There is just something so heart warming about them that I kind of wish I could go to Italy and eat pizza in Naples, just like Elizabeth Gilbert did in Eat,Pray,Love. I love that book. Probably because there’s so much amazing food in it. Food topics paired with travel, spirituality and womanhood get me every time, I just can’t help it.

But let’s get back to the marinara.
A good tomato sauce has always been my favorite thing to ladle generously over my pasta. I normally get kind of creative with my sauces but this one is actually my favorite because I really like the subtle taste of the pepper and thyme in it.
I use to serve this marinara over penne or spaghettini, alongside a hearty arugula salad with balsamic vinaigrette. If you love (vegan) parmesan as much as I do, please don’t omit it! It takes the sauce to the next level!
Enjoy!


                        


Special Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:
(makes approx. 1 litre)

2 Tbsp olive oil
3 shallots, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 large sprigs of thyme
800g whole tomatoes, canned
1 bird’s eye chili
1/3 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
Pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a pot, add shallots  and thyme sprigs. Cook on medium heat until shallots are translucent. Add bell pepper and chili and cook for a few minutes. Now add tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring sauce to a boil and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.
Remove thyme sprigs and purée until smooth.
Adjust seasoning to taste and serve with additional thyme.