Summer is here. Or so it would seem. In fact, it’s been here since about March if the plethora of students wearing shorts and flip-flops so soon as the temperature goes about 10 degrees are to be believed (you know who you are!). The great thing about summer is surely… the freedom? The weather? Food and summer don’t really go together. You’re instead pawned off with salads as main meals. To be honest, food that isn’t barbecued doesn’t play much of a role in a summer diet. So the question is: what does a food writer offer as way of insurance. British summers are notoriously shit. So I offer you a pasta sauce. You think I’m joking don’t you? This isn’t any pasta sauce. This is the pasta sauce. All you need is:
2 cans of plum tomatoes (not chopped)
Half an onion
A generous knob of butter
Again, I’d like to reiterate I’m not joking. Whack the tomatoes in a pan with the onion and butter, bring to the boil then simmer for a good half an hour. And the genius is – you can add pretty much whatever you want. A clove or two of garlic works wonders, as do capers, anchovies and chilli for those of us more inclined to spicy food (and poncy tinned fish). Mushrooms and bacon work well but even on its own it’s pretty special. The beauty lies in the butter and the onion – instead of cream (which usually thickens sauces up) the butter does the job and the onion leaves behind a lovely authenticity that tastes infinitely better than the stuff you buy in a jar. Buen appetito!
Callum Smith
Loading ...