whole wheat spaghetti with heirloom tomato sauce

After teaching Zumba at my gym in Mesa, I stopped by the Superstition Ranch Market, a little market with a ton of fresh fruit and veggies.  My friend Nicole suggested it, and I am so glad I listened!  I love a great deal, mostly because I am horrible at finding any deals; so when I walked out of the market with 5 bags full of fruits and veggies and only spent $27, I felt awesome!  The highlight of my little shopping excursion was the big basket sitting on the edge of the tomato/avocado aisle with a sign that read, "HEIRLOOM TOMATOES...UGLY BUT DELICIOUS!"  Ugly?  Let me tell you now, I have never come across an ugly heirloom tomato!  Maybe it's because I've tasted the delectable goodness of an heirloom, so I already know that dinner is going to be great.  These works of garden art/genius are the reason I am making Bryan build me a garden for next spring (and by Bryan, I mean our awesome landscaper...shout out to Desert Edge, you guys are great!).

So, with 4 giant heirloom tomatoes (I think they were Cherokee Purples)...I was on a mission to make some sauce for dinner.  Below are the ingredients I used, minus onion and sea salt.

Heirloom Tomato Sauce

(serves 4)

Ingredients

3 lbs. heirloom tomatoes (I used 4 large tomatoes)

6 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed

6 basil leaves

1/4 large yellow or red onion, diced small

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

sea salt to taste

Directions

1.  Bring a pot of water to a boil, and drop the tomatoes in for about 10 seconds, long enough to shrivel the skin slightly.  Remove from water with a slotted spoon and place in a colander under cool water.  When the tomato is cool enough to handle, transfer to a cutting board, slice in half, and remove the skin.  It should slide off of the tomato meat easily.   You can remove the seeds if you like, but they don’t bother me so I leave them in. 

2.  In a large, heavy skillet, heat oil over medium heat and add garlic.  Stir the garlic continuously for about 2 minutes, or until it begins to brown.  Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Crush the tomatoes and add to the skillet.  Add 3 basil leaves.  Stir and allow the sauce to boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.  Uncover, stir and let the sauce cook for about 10 – 15 more minutes.  This should thicken the sauce slightly.  Cut the remaining basil leaves into thin strips and add during the last few minutes of cooking.  Add salt to taste.