Recipe from Becky & Rachel's new food memoir, We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4servings
Author: Becky Johnson & Rachel Randolph
Ingredients
½cupchopped onion
2clovesminced garlic
2tablespoonsolive oil
1cupchopped vegetablesbroccoli, zucchini, squash, eggplant, carrots, whatever you’ve got on hand
½cupmarinated artichoke heartsquartered
1tablespooncapers or 2 tablespoon olivesany variety, pitted and chopped
2tablespoonspesto sauce (optionalbut toss it in if you have
it on hand)
2tablespoonspepperoncini peppersdiced
2tablespoonssun-dried tomatoesdiced
1 – 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 28-ouncecan crushed tomatoes with basil and garlic
1teaspoonItalian seasoning or oregano
⅛teaspoonsalt and pepperor to taste
16ouncesdry pastacooked per package instructions
Optional: ½ pound of cooked ground beef and ½ pound cooked Italian sausageor 1 can garbanzo beans, roasted (see instructions)
Instructions
In a medium-hot skillet, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add other vegetables; cook about 5 more minutes.
Add remaining ingredients except spices and pasta. Turn heat to medium high. Stir and simmer until sauce is thick and chunky.
Stir in optional meat or garbanzo beans. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian spices to taste. Add more brown sugar if more sweetness is desired. Simmer 5 more minutes. Serve atop pasta.
To Roast Garbanzo Beans:
Heat oven to 400˚. Rinse garbanzos (also called chickpeas) and pat dry.
On baking pan, mix garbanzos with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings (we love McCormick’s Italian Herb Seasoning Grinder), and ¼ teaspoon sea salt.
Roast for 10 minutes, shaking the pan a couple of times during the cooking. (You can also do this on the stove top over medium heat for 5 – 7 minutes, shaking every minute.)
Check for seasoning; sprinkle with more salt or balsamic if desired.
Notes
• Vegetarian (leave out meat)) • Vegan friendly (leave out meat; use dairy-free pesto or just omit it) • Gluten free (substitute pasta with spaghetti squash or gluten-free pasta, like the ones made of quinoa, corn, or rice)