Marinara Primavera

Finally, my butt is parked on my couch again where it belongs.  Although San Francisco was a new, interesting city to visit, a massive head & chest cold prevented me from seeing much more of it than the few blocks radiating out from my hotel and the convention center (a last-minute foray to the In-N-Out Burger by Fisherman's Wharf notwithstanding).  

 So, home, and sick, and my body craved creature comforts.  Blankets, pajamas, movies, and food.  Usually when I have a cold my wants are specific--ginger ale, OJ, and chicken soup (usually of the Mrs. Grassman's variety, although often times of the Chinese wonton variety as well).  

This time, though, my soul and body a bit starved for attention, I wanted something more filling.  Something hearty and homey.  I wanted spaghetti.  It's an American comfort food, one many of us grew up eating time and time again, and likely composed of similar, ready-made ingredients:  Creamette boxed spaghetti, ground beef, and Ragu (or Prego) jarred spaghetti sauce.  It's the easiest way to fix yourself some faux-Italian comfort food, and not a bad one either.

This is still what I think of when I imagine spaghetti, but sometimes I want to branch out a bit...or just use up a bunch of veggies in the fridge without having to eat, well, a plate of veggies.  Why not cook them into spaghetti?  Or, more truthfully, I had canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and all sorts of veg in the fridge, and I felt that guilt at using pre-made ingredients, and thought, OH, I should make a sauce from scratch. 

Thus, this primavera/marinara marriage was born of necessity, a bit of concern for heath, and mostly because I felt I should. Building a basic tomato sauce is easy, embarrassingly easy really.  Start with flavorful base veggies, add spices, and then add tomatoes and season.  The problem I usually find is that it's easy to make a quick marinara sauce, but not easy to make a quick and GOOD marinara sauce, one that doesn't need to be simmered on the stove half the day or require an absurd list of ingredients. 

Looks like marinara, but chock full of vegetables.  I like tricking myself into healthful eating. 

So I used a few tricks I've picked up from those much more intelligent, cuisine-wise, than me.  First, borrowing from Indian cuisines, I fry aromatic spices to intensify and release their flavor.  After the veggies have really cooked down (you want them to sort-of melt into the sauce), I like to "toast" the tomato paste in the skillet, another step that sweetens and draws out the strong tomato flavor.  Third, I use the juice in the whole tomato can to deglaze the pan, ensuring that no flavorful bits get left behind when the sauce is transferred to the pasta.  Fourth, add a parmesan rind into the sauce while its simmering--the cheesy flavor will infuse the sauce without having to add any actual cheese.  A great way to get another use from something you'd otherwise throw away.  Fifth, fry the pasta in a little olive oil before adding the sauce.  I don't know, it just does "something" - and that something is awesome.  


Ultimately, this married the comforting, nostalgic flavors of good ol' American spaghetti with an updated, richly layered, and veggie-riffic take on a classic.  Jump for a versatile, adaptable recipe.  


Pasta Marinara Primavera


3/4 pound of spaghetti, vermicelli, or other long, thin pasta
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
8 oz cremini or white button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced1 leek, split lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 medium summer squash, chopped
A few handfuls baby spinach, if desired
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp fennel seeds, roughly chopped
1 tsp dried basil
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 28-oz can whole or crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar


Cook spaghetti in salted, boiling water until al dente.  Drain and reserve.


Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Saute onion and mushroom until starting to soften, about 3 minutes, then add leeks and squash; season with S&P.  Saute until golden and soft, another 3--5 minutes.  You want the veggies to be browned and significantly smaller in volume so they "melt" into the sauce. 


Add in garlic, red pepper, fennel, and basil; saute until fragrant, about 30 second to a minute.  Add tomato paste and cook until it toasts and darkens slightly, then deglaze pan using juice from whole/crushed tomatoes, scraping up all the browned bits.  Add remaining tomatoes (crush whole tomatoes with the back of a spoon), water, salt and sugar.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.  


Heat remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in pasta pot over high heat, then add pasta.  Cook for 20 seconds, then add sauce to taste and toss until well coated and pasta starts absorbing sauce.  Serve with parmesan cheese, if desired.