The first few edible plants I ever had luck with were mint, basil and tomatoes. That first year I started a “garden” in large pots on my deck, I was so thrilled when I finally had a fistful of fresh mint to make iced tea, and just enough basil and tomatoes to make homemade pasta sauce. It was a small batch of my favorite ragu recipe, mind you, but a satisfying feat nonetheless.
Nowadays, I’m still not a great gardener, but I do happen to get a mess of tomatoes each year, along with a healthy amount of basil and mint. Everything else I plant is a crapshoot. There’s just nothing like cooking with fresh garden tomatoes. The flavor is so sweet and perky it can’t be replicated by something found in a tin can. This homemade pasta sauce is a family favorite, because it’s blend of fresh garden flavors, italian sausage and a touch of wine.
You start by scoring and blanching fresh tomatoes, just long enough that the skins slip off.
Then once the sausage is browned, add onions, garlic, basil and those lovely fresh tomatoes to the sausage.
Pour in a little wine and a spoonful or two of tomato paste for thickening, and slow cook to perfection. Perfection takes about an hour or so…
Serve this homemade pasta sauce over your favorite pasta. Of course, I used Delallo pasta, going with Delallo’s Organic Whole Wheat Rigatoni so the sauce would fill the tubes and provide that extra punch of flavor in every bite! This ragu recipe is so simple, it’s sure to become one of your favorites as well. It’s a great way to use up your garden tomatoes this year.
More Summer Pasta Dishes Orecchiette with Roasted Grapes and Tomatoes Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Pasta Prosciutto and Cantaloupe Pasta with Lemon Glaze Arugula Pesto Pasta ~ Gimme Some Oven Chinese Chicken Salad ~ Foodie Crush Brown Butter Garden Pasta ~ How Sweet It Is Share This Recipe With Friends!
