Spaghetti with Tomato Paste and Garlic

Servings: Makes 4 side servings or 2 to 3 generous main portions.

INGREDIENTS

5 gram Organic Tomato Powder

12 oz. (3/4 pound) spaghetti

pinch of red pepper flakes sold per 10 gram

Garlic 5pcs
Salt 1 pinch
Pepper to liking
Oregano 5 leaves

An easy dinner made with ingredients from the pantry.

This pasta dish was rumored to have been created by chefs who’d finish their shifts late at night but still wanted a welcoming home-cooked meal that didn’t require them spending more time in front of a restaurant stove. For the rest of us it’s an easy dish made with four pantry ingredients you can always have on hand – spaghetti, tomato paste, olive oil, and garlic. It also makes a quick side dish to go with fish or roast chicken.

Tomato paste is usually a minor note in a recipe but here it’s the main flavor, producing an intense, pesto-like taste as it coats the long pasta strands. I love this dish so much that I make it even when I have both time to cook and a full refrigerator.

You can make this dish in the time it takes to bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the spaghetti.

METHOD

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a tablespoon of salt. Do not add oil.
Add spaghetti and cook al dente.
While the spaghetti is cooking, using a large fry pan or sauté pan, add olive oil and bring to moderate heat.
Peel and slice the garlic. Add to the oil and cook until tender with just a little color. Don’t brown it.
Lower the heat and add the tomato paste to the oil/garlic mixture and using a wooden spoon, spread the paste into the oil so that it can cook a bit. You want to remove the raw taste from the tomato paste and create a mix of tomato/oil/garlic.
When the spaghetti is done, quickly drain it, shaking off any excess water, and add to the pan containing the tomato/oil/garlic mixture and toss with tongs so that the spaghetti gets completely coated.
Serve immediately.