A deliciously creamy tomato sauce with the addition of capers for extra depth of flavor! This vegetarian sauce is an umami lovers dream and comes together in just 30 minutes for an easy weeknight dinner.
14oz(400g)pasta , (I used gemelli, but penne or fusilli would work great)
6clovesof garlic, minced
1shallot, finely chopped
1roasted red pepper, jarred or fresh, sliced
4.5oz(130g)mushrooms, chopped into small pieces
¼cup(4Tbsp)capers, plus more for topping
1tspof mixed Italian herbs
28oz(800g)canned whole plum tomatoes
1tspbalsamic vinegar
1tspsugar
½cup(120ml)cream , (see notes)
½cup(50g)grated fresh parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
Instructions
Heat a little olive oil in a pan and saute the shallot until soft. Add the mushrooms, red pepper and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes until the mushrooms are softened and the garlic is fragrant.
Now add your herbs, followed by the capers. Use the wooden spoon to smoosh them into the sides of the pan and crush them down a little - this will help release all the flavors!
Add the canned tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and sugar.
Simmer until the tomatoes have cooked down a little. If you're using whole tomatoes, use the spoon to break them up.
Get your pasta cooking now. Let the sauce simmer until the pasta has cooked.
Once you're ready to serve, add the parmesan cheese to the sauce and stir until it has melted in.
Finally, add the cream and mix through.
Mix the pasta in with the sauce and scoop into bowls with some extra capers and parmesan for topping.
Notes
I used double cream / heavy cream for this recipe, but you can certainly use single cream / half and half to lighten it up a little.