Author Notes
The good folks from Sicily have a great habit of combining tomatoes and raisins, which was the inspiration for this simple pasta dish. Over the years, the sweet and savory sauce, loaded with sunshine and flavors became my No. 1 pasta sauce, and a life saver when I come back from work late.
p.s. Try it at room temperature, it's even better than straight from the stove. —QueenSashy
Ingredients
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1 pound
pasta
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1
14 oz can diced tomatoes
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2 tablespoons
double concentrate tomato paste
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1
generous cup Thompson raisins
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Juice and zest of one lime
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2
large shallots (or one red onion)
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1
tiny garlic clove, minced
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4 tablespoons
extra virgin olive oil
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Salt and pepper
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Minced parsley for garnish
Directions
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In a sauté pan heat the oil, add the shallots and cook until shallots are soft, for about two minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, raisins, lime zest and about a cup of water. Simmer over medium low heat for about 25-30 minutes. (If the sauce becomes too thick while cooking, add a bit more water and continue to simmer. The sauce will look done after about 15 minutes, but keep on going for an extra while. This will help the tomatoes absorb the sweetness of the raisins and make all the flavors come together nicely.). Remove the sauce from the stove, add the lime juice and season with salt and a tiny bit of pepper.
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Cook your pasta to al dente. Drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the sauce and mix well. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.
Aleksandra aka QueenSashy is a scientist by day, and cook, photographer and doodler by night. When she is not writing code and formulas, she blogs about food, life and everything in between on her blog, Three Little Halves. Three Little Halves was nominated for 2015 James Beard Awards and the finalist for 2014 Saveur Best Food Blog Awards. Aleksandra lives in New York City with her other two halves, Miss Pain and Dr. V.
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