Food Network: Spaghetti with Olives and Tomato Sauce

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Spaghetti with Olives and Tomato Sauce
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients
1 pound dried spaghetti
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/4 cups mixed olives, pitted and halved
1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes, plus more if desired
3 cups tomato sauce, recipe follows
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup basil leaves, shredded

Instructions
In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of salted water to a
boil. When water comes to a boil, add pasta, stirring constantly for the first

minute to help prevent spaghetti from sticking together. Cook until al dente,
about 8 to 10 minutes.

In a large saute pan, heat oil. When almost smoking, add olives and red pepper
flakes. Saute for 3 minutes over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low and
carefully pour in tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.

Drain pasta in a colander, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water. Add pasta to the sauce
and toss to coat completely. Add pasta water if you need to thin out the sauce a
bit. Plate pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and basil.

Simple Tomato Sauce:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high
heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10
minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all
the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and

simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and
check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1
tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth.
Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup
portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

Yield: 6 cups