For those of you who know me from the East Coast, this is not the gravy I made back then. That sauce is older than my Grandmother and impossible to accurately measure out. As such, it is unlikely that you will see a recipe for that here.
What you will need:
1 large can of diced tomatoes (I prefer medium to petite because it provides a chunkier sauce)
1 medium can (15oz) of tomato puree
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 Tbsp. of olive oil (regular, not extra virgin)
1-2 oz Chevre goat cheese
2 Tbsp. salt
Basil (fresh or dried) and black pepper to taste
Take the goat cheese out of the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature while you cook.
Open and drain the can of diced tomatoes in a colander (retain the liquid for later). I like to add about 1 Tbsp of salt to the tomatoes and allow them to drain for 5-10 minutes, stirring them a few times. The idea here is to get the tomatoes as dry as possible so that they brown better in the pan.
While the tomatoes are draining, use 1 Tbsp. of olive oil, 1 tsp. of salt, and 2-3 garlic cloves to make garlic paste. Put a large pan on medium-high heat and put a pot of water on high heat to boil pasta.
When the tomatoes are well drained, throw your garlic paste in the hot pan and allow it to cook until you see the first hints of browning. Then add the drained tomatoes and toss. At this stage, if desired, you can add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes for some extra spice.
You are going to cook the tomatoes for 15 minutes, stirring every 3-5 minutes. You want them to brown well, but not burn.
Just before the 15 minutes are up, combine the can of tomato puree with the reserved liquid from the drained tomatoes. Reduce the heat on the tomatoes to low/simmer and add the puree/liquid mixture.
Allow the sauce to come to a slow simmer and then cover loosely and continue to cook for 15 minutes.
By this time, your pasta water should be boiling. With about 5 minutes left on the sauce timer, salt your water and add your pasta. I like medium shells, rotini, or rigatoni.
When the time goes off, add a little basil (fresh and dried are different here - so add, taste, and repeat).
At this point, you could be done. This is the completed sauce. What I do here, and what I think really sets it apart, is add about 1 oz of goat cheese (you can add more or less - taste it and add more if you want). Stir this until the sauce begins to get creamy and you don't have any chunks of goat cheese left.
Drain your pasta and toss with the sauce. Serve hot.
Important this to remember:
1. Taste early and taste often. The only way to know if you are on track is to taste test.
2. Add ingredients slowly. If you put too much salt in the sauce there is no getting it out.
3. Don't overcook your pasta. Unless you have no teeth with which to bite it, it should be "to the tooth" or al dente.
