I should preface that this recipe was done by mistake. I meant to make a simple tomato sauce of frozen tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning mix. I grabbed the wrong spice jar and made an altogether different sauce which my perennial dining companion and I agreed was quite tasty. The Hot Habenero Blend used in this recipe can be found at
http://www.beyondtheshaker.com/products/Hot-Habanero-Blend.html.
I use a bag of frozen tomatoes in the recipe. From late summer until the local tomatoes end in the fall, I buy 12-20 a week, blanch them to remove the skins, then cook them (a little more than a simmer) in a big heavy pot without a lid for a couple hours to reduce the liquid. I let them cool, then freeze them in quart-sized freezer bags. I don't add salt or seasoning so I have a lot of flexibility when I add them to my recipe. The flavor is excellent. If you don't have the quart of frozen tomatoes use two 14 ounce cans of diced tomatoes instead. In my house, this recipe serves 2 with leftovers for 1 for lunch the next day.
1 quart-sized bag of frozen tomatoes
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp fleur de sel or other salt of your choice
1 tbsp Hot Habanero Blend salt
1/2 pound spaghettini (or pasta of your choice)
freshly ground parmesan cheese, optional
Thaw the tomatoes (can be done right in the saucepan over low heat). Add the tomato paste and spices. Bring to a boil for a few seconds then reduce heat and simmer for about 1/2 an hour.
Prepare your spaghettini to package instructions. Toss spaghettini with a little bit of the sauce, then top with more sauce and cheese for serving.
