Sugo Finto (vegetable sauce)

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• Salt
• 3 carrots
• 3 celery stalks
• 3 brown onions
• 1 garlic clove (peeled and kept whole)
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 sprig sage leaves ((about 5-6 leaves))
• 1 bay leaf
• ⅓ cup (80ml) Italian red wine
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste (concentrate)
• 6 sun dried tomatoes ( jarred in oil)
• 14 oz (400g) canned peeled plum tomatoes ((we used Mutti Pelati))
• 2 cups (500ml) vegetable stock
• 1 lb (450g) dried pasta ((we used rigatoni))
• Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano (for grating on top)

Steps

1. 1

   Finely chop the carrot, celery and onion and peel the whole garlic clove.

2. 2

   Add around 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to a large pan on a medium-low heat. Add the vegetables, whole garlic clove, rosemary sprig, sage leaves and bay leaf with a good pinch of salt. Saute the veg slowly until soft but not browned. This step takes around 30 minutes, stir the vegetables every so often so they don’t catch on the pan.

3. 3

   Once the vegetables have softened, add the red wine and let it simmer and reduce for 1-2 minutes whilst stirring.

4. 4

   Next, add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and the tomato paste and stir it into the vegetables.

5. 5

   Add the canned tomatoes and vegetable stock breaking the tomatoes up with the side of a wooden spoon. Bring the sauce to a simmer and let it simmer gently for 30 minutes until reduced and thickened.

6. 6

   After 30 minutes you can taste the sauce and if you'd like the vegetables to have a softer texture continue to simmer it for another 10-15 minutes. Add a little extra water or stock if the sauce reduces too much. Add more salt to taste at the end.

7. 7

   Note: when the sauce is done you can remove the whole garlic clove, bay leaf and the herb stalks.

8. 8

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Cook your pasta until al dente.

9. 9

   Add your pasta to the sauce using a slotted spoon and toss to combine in the sauce. Serve in bowls topped with freshly grated cheese on top.