One of the Many Reasons I Love Italy

There are so many reasons why we'd go back to Italy year after year after year that I couldn't count them all.  One of the things we love the most in Italy is the food, primarily the pastas and gelato.  We learned quickly that we prefer trattorias, little mom and pop cafes, rather than the multi-course ristorantes. 

One of our favorite restaurants is Scarpone's, located on one of the seven hills of Rome.  It's a little family place where you can sit under the grape arbors, sip some low-alcohol wine served in pitchers and have wonderful pasta dishes.  For years, I've tried to recreate the pasta we've had there and until about six months ago, I couldn't do it.  However, I've finally concocted my own version of their marinara sauce, and we both love it. 

Here's the recipe:
Olive Oil, just two or three tablespoons
Garlic (as much as you want), pressed
1 large can of petite diced tomatoes with the juice
Fresh basil, chopped
Kosher Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Pasta of your choice, al dente
Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated

Saute the garlic in the olive oil until the aroma releases.  Add the tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper.  Simmer on low heat.  While this is simmering, cook your pasta until almost done.  Drain and add to the sauce. Continue simmering the sauce and pasta together until the liquid is absorbed by the pasta.  Serve in pasta bowls and top with a sprig of fresh basil and the cheese.

Serve with a salad and bread with olive oil (Italian butter) and a little balsamic for dipping. This is one of those meals you can prepare in 15-20 minutes and is so good.  The secret to this recipe is allowing the pasta to soak up all the wonderful flavors of the sauce.

Now, if I could just figure out how to make gelato like we've had in Italy.....