Tad Seaborn/The Globe and Mail
Having a small garden, I don't grow enough tomatoes to ever aspire to canning or freezing. In a stellar week I accumulate enough to make a meal for two and recently planned to make a basic tomato sauce with capers (thinking to add some savoury notes). Then I noticed I had some olives (your basic green pimento stuffed) and a jar of tender anchovies. I had a tangy, salty puttanesca sauce simmering in no time. Not bad for raiding a sadly empty fridge. As for finding fresh tomatoes – in a pinch canned will work just fine.
Servings: 2-3 over pasta
Last-minute puttanesca
6 medium tomatoes, blanched and peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olives, chopped
2 tablespoons capers, chopped
2 anchovy fillets, chopped
Method
Roughly chop 700g (about 6 medium) blanched and peeled tomatoes. No need to remove seeds or be too fussy – just cut out the tough core when you come across it, reserve as much juice as possible. Set aside.
In a medium pan heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Add 4 cloves minced garlic and saute till fragrant. Add the tomatoes.
Cook for 7-10 minutes or until the tomatoes have begun to break down and then add 1/4 cup chopped olives (any kind), 2 tablespoons chopped capers and 2 chopped anchovy fillets.
Cook another 10 minutes until flavours have melded and the tomatoes are slightly reduced to a thickened sauce-like quality. Serve over pasta, fish or chicken breast.
Sue Riedl