• RECIPES

Recipe Directions

Prepare the tomato sauce (Napolitana) for the pasta.  Melt the pomodoro with your hands in a bowl. Keep all their juice.

If you use tomatoes fresh in season, peel them, cut them in half and squeeze them to make the seeds leave. Melt them by hand in a bowl.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and add the chopped onion. Let it become transparent by stirring it regularly for about 3-4 minutes. Do not let the onion get any color, to prevent the sauce from being heavy.

Crush the garlic cloves, add them to the oil and saute for 1-2 minutes (then if you want remove them, otherwise they will melt during cooking). Add the tomatoes and with a wooden spoon press them to melt. Add the sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper and if you want a piece of basil stalk.

Once it boils, lower the heat and simmer the sauce for about 40 minutes. From time to time, stir with a wooden spoon. After 40 minutes the sauce will have thickened and the tomatoes will have been mashed. Check the salt and pepper, sprinkle with a little olive oil and add the chopped basil leaves. Stir and turn off the heat.

Meanwhile, we have boiled and drained the pasta. Add 2-3 tablespoons of Napolitana sauce to the pasta and mix.

Serve immediately on plates with extra sauce and grated cheese.

Tips for the Napolitana sauce

For the Napolitana sauce you can use canned pomodoro or only fresh pomodoro tomatoes. They are tomatoes with a thin skin, a little liquid and a lot of flesh, ideal for tomato sauce. If you can not find a good fresh tomato, I recommend using 2 cans of pomodoro. If you want you can use 1 can and 800 grams of fresh tomatoes.

-The sauce is made only with garlic. But I like the onion because it gives sweetness to the Napolitana.

-1 sprig of fresh oregano or fresh thyme in the sauce, makes it more delicious.

-The basil in the tomato sauce always comes at the end.

-Napolitana sauce needs a low heat until the tomatoes are melted and creamy. You can pass the sauce through a vegetable grinder.

- Pour the dripping boiled pasta into the sauce.

Nutritional comment by Anastasios Papalazaros *

"Everyone's favorite pasta is a great way to 'hide' foods (e.g. vegetables) that your children do not eat. This vegetable sauce is one such suggestion. The combination of vegetables, in addition to the delicious superiority it offers, also increases the nutritional value of the dish. Furthermore, this meal contributes to the proper functioning of the immune system, as it is a very good source of vitamin A. Vitamin A of the vegetables in the recipe has a protective effect on the mucous membranes of the eyes, lungs, intestines and genitals, acting as barrier against pathogenic microorganisms. Combine it with a seasonal salad and enjoy a great dish.”

* Dr. Anastasios Papalazarou

Dietitian- Nutritionist

** The caloric coverage and macronutrient composition is approximate and concerns one portion of the recipe.