This recipe was a total fluke - my husband and I made fresh semolina pasta the night before and had leftover noodles that we needed to use. I only had a handful of cherry tomatoes left from the farmers market, and was trying to figure out how to make some kind of sauce for the pasta. I literally just grabbed everything I had in the fridge, chopped everything up and threw it in a skillet. It turned out to be one of my favorite pasta sauces I’ve ever made! This recipe is easily adaptable, and is a great way to use up vegetables in your fridge!

INGREDIENTS: (Serves 2-3 people)

1/2 onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

2 yellow or orange bell peppers, finely chopped

Handful of cherry tomatoes

4 garlic cloves, minced

Oregano

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat a skillet to medium-high heat. Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet, then add the onion, carrots, and celery. Stir and let them simmer until soft. Add the tomatoes to the skillet - once they begin to burst, use the back of a spoon to crush them. After the tomatoes are crushed, add the bell peppers and some more olive oil for a base, and let everything simmer down. Add salt, pepper, and oregano to taste. Let the sauce simmer for at least half an hour.

To serve with pasta: While everything is simmering, add water to a large pot and bring to a boil. Add a couple of tablespoons of salt to the water. When the sauce is finished, cook whatever pasta you’re using until it’s just under al dente. Make sure to scoop out a little bit of the pasta water right before you drain the pasta! After you’ve drained the pasta, add the noodles to the skillet and stir. Add a splash of the pasta water - the starch will help the sauce bind to the pasta! Once the pasta is thoroughly coated, add the grated parmesan and stir well. Plate and serve immediately!

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