PAPPARDELLE WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Saffron requested 'fat spaghetti' for dinner. She was excited when I told her I would make my tomato sauce for the pappardelle pasta.

'Your sauce is the best!' she told me. I am glad she likes it as her siblings prefer their pasta plain. I hope their taste buds get more daring this year as I would like to move towards something more interesting than pasta with feta and rice with beans for dinner.

The sauce was simple. It took a mere half hour to cook. Diced garlic sautéed in olive oil for two minutes. To that I added chopped fresh oregano and thyme before adding a can of crushed fire roasted tomatoes.

Two bay leaves and three sprigs of fresh thyme along with salt were next to be added. A splash of sparkling water and merlot and a secret ingredient were the last items to be added.

'Why do you add [the secret ingredient]?' asked Saffron. 'For taste' I replied. It was nice to have something different today.