Pasta

Suddenly it got late, so here, briefly, is last night's pasta recipe, which I'm calling

Quasi-Vegan Rotini Arrabbiata!

In a generous splash of olive oil, sautee a small onion, chopped, with two peeled carrots, also chopped. Add a bit of salt, freshly ground pepper, and a few good shakes of cayenne. When onions become transparent, throw in a small amount of water and a bay leaf and boil until carrots are tender. Add a can of tomato sauce (I used Hunt's) and some dried oregano and basil. Allow to simmer for a while, then toss in two or three cloves of minced garlic. Simmer a while longer, then remove bay leaf and use immersion blender to puree it all up. Add more cayenne if it needs more heat. I had a few tablespoons of leftover heavy whipping cream, so I threw that in, but the sauce tasted surprisingly buttery before I added any dairy--maybe the carrots?

Toss with al dente rotini (I used one box, and it was about perfect) and eat! Hearty, delicious, and full of fiber and vitamins. I made it with the extra fiber white pasta (Ronzoni Smart Taste), and it didn't seem to knock me out like pasta with tomato sauce sometimes does. A salad would have been perfect, but we made due with frozen peas.

It was so quick and easy to make with what is so often already in my cupboards and fridge that I'm sure I'll be returning to this recipe repeatedly!