Penne with Capers and Basil in Tomato Sauce

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The other night my husband called and asked me to meet him for dinner.  I jumped at the chance to go out, but I still had to make sure my children were fed, so I made them a very quick and tasty pasta dish.  Of course I cooked enough to feed an army, but this heats up beautifully for lunch the next day.

• 2 packages whole wheat penne
• 2 containers chopped tomatoes (I use Pomi)
• 2 medium onions peeled and chopped (I like the chop slightly bigger in this dish, it’s more rustic)
• 5-6 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped
• a big pinch each of dried, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes
• 1 jar capers drained
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• a handful of basil leaves cut into a chiffonade
• olive oil
• shredded Locatelli cheese (or any hard Italian cheese)

Make this a one pot meal – put up a pot of water to boil and in the meantime, set up all of your other ingredients. Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside (I just leave it in the colindar in the sink)

Put the pot back on the heat and add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan.  When it’s hot, add the onions and the garlic and saute until softened and onions are translucent.  Add your dried herbs and saute and stir for a minute to release their oils.

Lower the heat to medium and add the tomatoes. Stir until they’re completely heated

Add the vinegar and capers and stir to combine.

Add the pasta back to the sauce and gently toss to coat the pasta. Add the basil right before serving and toss once more.

Plate and serve. Grate some cheese on top, salt and pepper to taste.

I had to have a tiny taste just to make sure it was perfect.

It was.

It took about 20 minutes, No fuss, no muss, the kids were fed, lunch for the kids, hubby and myself was ready for the next day and I got to enjoy a lovely night on the town.

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