Little Italy Spaghetti

A stripped-down spaghetti with a fresh vegetable sauce that comes together fast on a weeknight without opening a single jar.

Onions go into olive oil first until translucent, then garlic, basil, and oregano hit the pan. Adding the herbs early lets them bloom in the oil, which pulls out way more flavor than tossing them in at the end. Chopped tomatoes, mushrooms, and green peppers cook covered for 15 minutes with tomato paste, which thickens the sauce and gives it body without adding liquid.

The sauce stays chunky and fresh-tasting, not stewed down into something heavy. Toss it with the cooked spaghetti right in the pan so the pasta absorbs some of that sauce.

Kitchen Tips

• Chop all the vegetables to a similar small size so they cook evenly in the 15-minute window.
• Use ripe, in-season tomatoes when possible. Out-of-season tomatoes are mealy and tasteless, so canned diced tomatoes are a better bet in winter.
• Save a splash of pasta cooking water before draining. Add it when tossing if the sauce seems too thick.

Variations

• Crumble in Italian sausage or ground beef with the onions for a meatier version.
• Add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the herbs for some heat.
• Finish with a handful of fresh Parmesan and torn basil leaves.