Pasta Sauce Rafael

Easy to throw together with deep flavors, vegetarian, too! A very special sauce, as it was part of the wedding weekend kick-off meal!

Start to finish: 1 hour +/-. Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 jars (6 ounces each) marinated artichoke hearts in olive oil
• 1/4 cup olive oil (we sometimes add a bit more)
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tbs. coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Pinch of dried red pepper flakes
• 1 can (28 ounces) plum tomatoes, with their juice

Directions

1. Drain the artichoke hearts, reserving the marinade to add to the pan (in step 2).
2. Heat the quarter cup of olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions, garlic, oregano, basil, black pepper, salt, red pepper flakes, and reserved artichoke marinade.
3. Sauté over medium-low heat until the onions and garlic are soft and translucent, usually about 10 minutes.
4. Add the canned tomatoes and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes. (I usually chop up the tomatoes in the pan because I am lazy but you could chop them up before adding them to the pan.)
5. Add the artichoke hearts (we usually chop them up a bit in the pan — and they will naturally fall apart). Stir gently and simmer another 5 minutes.
6. Serve with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top