Anchovies and tomato spagettini, apple sauce salad (Dinner 16 July) 

This is one of our popular pasta menus. Sauce is made of canned plum tomato. Removing the seeds of tomatoes takes a bit effort but it is worthwhile. The sourness and depth of simmered tomatoes is something that you cannot experience with ready-made tomato sauce. This is also very economical (see the total cost)!!

Ingredients: canned plum tomatoes (250g), 1 clove of large garlic or two small, 3 eshallots (or 1/2 onion), 4 slices of oiled anchovies, olive oil, 200-250g spagettini, 

1 teaspoonful truffle oil, black pepper       

Anchovies and tomato spagettini

1. Remove the seeds and skin from the meat of tomatoes. Place a strainer over a bowl and remove out the seeds with fork. This process is very important. The seeds and skins never disappear even they are cooked for many hours!
2. Start to boil plenty of water in a big deep pan for cooking pasta
3. Chop the eshallots and garlic and fry with two tablespoonful olive oil till they get translucent
4. Add tomatoes and shimmer it in low temperature for at least 10-15 mins
5. Chop the anchovies and add to the sauce
6. Boil the pasta to before the al dente condition for 1.5 mins
7. Put boiled pasta into the sauce pan, mix well and add truffle oil and black pepper.

Lots of seeds were caught 

Simmering tomato sauce

Removing the tomato seeds takes some effort. So when I do it, I use 500g of tomatoes can and store the half of work in the freezer.

Apple sauce salad

1. Cut vegetables (cucumber, lettuce, dill, chopped and washed onion, tomatoes without skin) and put into a salad bowl
2. Grate 1/2 apple (peeled and cored) on the top
3. Season with olive oil, salt, cider or white wine vinegar  

Skinless cherry tomatoes are very nice to be dressed with this sauce.  Boil them for 10 seconds in water and immediately stored in the cold water. Skins are removed very easily.

Total time to prepare: 50 mins (removing seeds takes 20 mins)

Total cost: 1.28 pounds 0.57 for tomatoes (1/2 can of Italian Tomatoes costs 1.14), 0.4 for anchovies, 0.7 for pasta, 0.7 for other vegetables