Tomayto? Tomahto? Tomato.

No matter how you say it, the tomato is a delicious fruit. Yes, these delicious treats a considered a fruit, although you'll find them nestled next to the veggies in your local grocer. My friend, Liz, and I like to talk food. A lot. Whenever we go grocery shopping, she always tells me a recipe for something in my cart. As we grabbed a couple pints of grape tomatoes, Liz told me she makes an amazing sauce for pasta. 


She told me what she used, twice, to be exact (I was actually at the house the night she was starting to make it), but I didn't write it down. All I remembered what her saying tomatoes, basil, and olive oil. When I went into the kitchen the other day to make it, I was going to call her, but she was at work - I was going to have to wing it.


Chunky Tomato Basil Sauce
1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced lengthways
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 basil leaves, ripped into bite sized pieces
1-2 pinches black lava sea salt (any type of salt will do, though)
Prep time, 5 minutes. Cook time, 10-15 minutes. Serves 2.


First, toss a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil into the bottom of a frying pan. Move it around, so it coats the bottom of the pan. Place your tomato slices in, cut side down. Now, turn the heat on medium high. When you hear the tomatoes start to simmer, turn down to medium and start moving them around a bit. 

The tomatoes will start to get soft and break down, which is what you want. This is how you're going to get a delicious sauce, my friends. Once you see the mixture start to thicken up and well, start looking more like a sauce, put the heat on low and grab your basil.

I ripped my basil, as I didn't see the need to cut it. I ripped it right over the pan, and dropped it in. I also added a few pinches of black lava sea salt. I gave it a stir with my wooden spoon. Once the basil started wilting, I turned the stove off, but kept it on the burner, mixing occasionally. 

I used this straight out of the pan, and put onto some organic forbidden rice I had made earlier in the day. You can use this on pasta, hearty bread, or eat it by itself. Its pretty versatile, so use your imagination!

I love how the sauce is so thick, but not overpowering. Its actually a bit on the sweet side, which I liked. Lots of tomato chunks, fragrant basil, and hearty rice. I used one cup of cooked rice and 1/4 cup sauce for this dish. I had to take a picture before I mixed everything together, because I feared it would look unappetizing. 

Thankfully, it still looked delicious after all the ingredients were incorporated. Next time, I might try it with a bit of sautéed garlic and some fresh cracked pepper.

Are there any great new recipes you've come across lately?