Maxx's Spicy Marinara Sauce

I thought it was time to post another recipe and I remembered last night's dinner. This is a recipe that I came up with many years ago when looking for something to eat a couple of days before payday. The cupboards looked bare, and the fridge was almost as bad. All I had was pasta, a carton of passata, an onion and a bell pepper.

They say necessity is the mother of invention, and I needed some dinner. I added some garlic, herbs and a little chilli and really enjoyed the result.

Ingredients

• 500g carton passata
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp chilli sauce
• 1½ tbsp basil.
• Pasta - use a shaped pasta that will 'hold' the sauce

How to

1. Saute the onions and peppers in a non-stick pan. Using a good quality pan means you don't have to use oil. If you don't have a good non stick pan, use low calorie spray oil, like FryLight
2. Add the garlic and fry for about  30 - 45 seconds
3. Add the passata, chilli sauce and basil, allow to boil then reduce and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally
4. Boil the pasta, as per the packet cooking instructions.
5. Plate up the pasta, spoon over some of the sauce and garnish with a little grated parmesan cheese.

I have a couple of variations of this recipe. If I'm looking to add a some more protein to the dish I'll add chopped bacon (with the fat removed prior to cooking), or chopped ham or if I'm feeling decadent, I'll chop up a Peperami and fry that off with the onions.

I normally keep chopped onions and peppers in the freezer, so making this is really quick, I can be eating in fifteen minutes. That's faster than phoning for a take out.