Paul's [recipe] Corner

Olive oil
1 small - medium onion finely diced
2 - 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
a big pinch of dried basil
fresh ground black pepper
Sea Salt
2 425g of peeled canned tomatoes with no added salt, sugar or preservatives.
4 tbls leggo's tomato paste
15 - 20 kalamata olives (salty Greek black olive, my favourite!)
pinch of sugar
splash of red wine or port

Heat oil in pan add onion for a minute or so – to soften - then add garlic into the pan and stir for a minute or two more. Add olives and cook for a couple of minutes so the olives get hot and then throw in the Basil. Now add the tomato paste and cook it (keep stirring or it will burn) when it develops a good dark colour and smells bellisimo add your red wine or port and stir then add the canned tomato’s, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir until all mixed together taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly and then let simmer for 20 minutes. If you think it is too rich you can cut it down a little with some water.

Meat version:
If you are making a meat sauce then add your mince - 700 grams of low fat beef mince - after the tomato paste has cooked for several minutes. Stir the meat well so as to break it down and really coat it with the paste. Cook until all the meat is browned. Then add wine mixing through the meat before adding the tomatoes, sugar salt and pepper. If too thick cut with some water and then leave to simmer for 20 – 30 minutes.

There is always enough sauce left over to feed my three daughters another day, just freeze until needed.

If I was making this sauce for myself and my wife I would use a combination of pork and beef mince. I would also add two finely chopped chillies in with onion and add mushrooms - combination of fresh and dried pocini reconstitued and chopped zuchini after the sauce had been simmered for 10 - 15 minutes.