Lunch at Home

While on the topic of lunches, I thought I'd show you what I prefer to eat when I am in the comfort of my own home. Simple. Easy. Delicious. Spaghetti with a basil tomato sauce.

In the past, I've had some issues with getting the right consistency of tomato sauce. While in Italy, I would always make the sauce from fresh tomatoes, but here in America I prefer to buy canned whole Italian tomatoes which I find to be equally as good. And as an added bonus, I don't have to spend the extra time peeling the skins. Despite my best efforts though, my tomato sauce has always come out too runny. Maybe it's just that I've learned patience, but I found that it really is key to quite vigorously simmer the sauce for at least 30 minutes prior to serving. I'm sure this was mentioned in my cook book, but as a young 20-something it is my duty to ignore fine details like this and then blame the world around me when everything doesn't turn out how I would have liked.

Contents:

• Olive oil
• Garlic
• Whole tomatoes
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Fresh chopped basil

As for the pasta, make sure to boil it in plenty of salted water. A good rule of thumb (and one that I learned from Michele) is if you think you added a lot of salt, add more. The water should taste like the salt water from the ocean.

One point that I did not miss in my cooking class was the emphasis on the al dente quality of the pasta. Growing up I'm not quite sure if I ever experienced al dente, as my dad likes just about everything cooked for another 5 minutes to make sure it's "good and done". Thankfully, I have discovered al dente and make certain that my pasta adheres to this standard. And as for cooking for my dad, I make sure to remove my pasta well before his. You can't teach an old dog new tricks.