This meal is very aromatic and awakens your senses. The smell emanates from the kitchen and everyone comes running! It is super easy to pull this together for a meal during the week. The only problem with this dish is that you cannot stop eating it!!!! Here are the directions:

You’ll need a large frying pan to start. Chop up 4-5 cloves of fresh garlic and add it to the frying pan with a little drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. Let these cook a few minutes until translucent. Next, open the can of tomatoes. I like San Marzano Whole Peeled Tomatoes from Italy. Add them to the pan, and chop the tomatoes with the flat edge wooden spoon.

Add in more sea salt, black pepper, black olives (and 1 tablespoon of the reserved liquid), and the capers along with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. You may add in a splash of red wine too and a pinch of sugar. You can crush your herbs and add that to the pot as well. Let the sauce simmer on low heat for roughly 20 minutes. If you like it spicy, add some anchovy paste as well. I have used a vegetable paste to deepen the flavor too or even a few squeezes of a tomato paste in a tube.

In the meantime, cook the pasta. Once it has cooked according to the directions on the box, drain it and then toss it into the frying pan with the sauce. Mix well.

Rinse, pat dry, and chop the basil. Add the basil to the pan as a finishing touch.

Serve this meal right from the pan for easy clean up. They will love it! You can experiment with different combinations see below.

Alternatives: Add red pepper flakes to make it really spicy, and send this dish over the top! Enjoy!!!