Coptic fasting can be a challenge when it comes to cooking tasty delicious dishes. However fasting recipes should not be either a sacrifice of flavor or of nutritional value. This vegan enriched pasta is slightly lower in calories and carbohydrates, slightly higher in protein and vitamin A. .
Carbohydrates like pasta provide glucose, the crucial fuel for your brain and muscles, since pasta is an awesome source of complex carbohydrates releasing energy at a slow and sustained level, you don’t get the energy spikes associated with simple sugars. Here is an easy and delicious red sauce pasta recipe you are sure to enjoy.
Ingredients:
Tomato Sauce
- 4 x 400 g tins of quality chopped tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon / 30 ml olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 cup water
- 3 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1-1¼ tsp sea salt
- Pepper, to taste
- ½ teaspoon hot chili powder or flakes (optional)
- Large sprig of basil (optional)
Preparation:
- Heat olive oil in a large frying pan.
- Throw in garlic and stir-fry it on low-medium heat until it softens and becomes fragrant.
- Add tinned tomatoes. If using plum tomatoes squash them with a potato masher first before adding to the pan.
- Now add stock or water, add 1 teaspoon of salt and chili and simmer (without a lid) on a low heat for about 45 to 60 minutes giving it a good stir every 10 to 15 minutes. You want the tomatoes to break down fully and the sauce to thicken so that it coats your pasta nicely.
- Towards the end of cooking time, add a large spring of fresh basil and submerge it in the sauce to release its beautiful aroma.
- Season the sauce with sugar (to neutralize citric acid used to preserve the tomatoes), pepper and more salt if needed. You can also add a bit more olive oil if you want it to be richer.
- If you want your sauce to be smooth, transfer it into a blender and give it a good whiz. Or you can skip this step if you don’t mind your sauce a little chunky.
- Mix the sauce into freshly cooked pasta. Serve with a few olives, lemon zest and fresh parsley.
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