Simple Tomato Pasta Sauce
 by Dan Metcalf

Pasta is probably one of the easiest dishes to make vegetarian or vegan.
This recipe tries to remain simple and tasty.  Easy to make in about 5 minutes.

Ingredients:

3    Tablespoons	Extra Virgin Olive Oil
				(Trader Joes Santini is pretty good)
1/2  teaspoon		Sea Salt
				(table salt is saltier, so use less)
1    clove		garlic, crushed or minced
1/2  cup		chopped onion
1    medium to large	chopped tomato (I prefer skin on)


Directions:
1. Heat pan on high heat.  Once hot add the olive oil, salt, garlic and onions.
2. Saute until onions start to become translucent (you can see through them).
3. Add the chopped tomato.  Cook until the tomatoes break down a little.
4. Add a little pepper or chile flake to taste.  The sauce will thin a little, 
   so cook it down a little bit until the sauce thickens.
5. Adjust taste with salt if necessary.

Serve over pasta or throw cooked pasta into the pan and stir to coat before 
serving.


Variations:
You can add any fresh vegetable to this sauce you want.
- Zucchini or other soft squash is nice thrown in with the onions.
- Replace the chopped onion with some chopped green onions.
- Cooking the onion longer to make them a little brown gives a carmelized 
  flavor that is very nice.
- If you like things spicy add in some dried chile flakes.
- Basil!  Tomato and basil go together well.  If dried, add at the beginning 
  with the onions.  If fresh it should go in at the very end.
- Thyme!  Another good herb to add to pasta sauces.  Same instructions as basil.
- Lemon...  To make the dish a little "brighter" add a little lemon zest or 
  lemon juice (fresh).

Tips and tricks:
- A little bit of pasta water added to the sauce will thicken it a bit.  A 
  little bit more will thin a sauce that is too thick.
- If vegetarians allow for a little butter then adding 1 Tablespoon to the 
  finished sauce.  If you want a white wine sauce just as the butter melts add 
  a splash of white wine.  Cook briefly to thicken.
- Another option to vegetarians is adding a little grated parmesan cheese after
  you turn off the heat and give it a little stir.

Vegetables that are good in this:
- soft squashes: zucchini, grey squash, yellow summer squash, ...
- roasted sweet peppers
- mushrooms
- steamed asparagus, chopped
 Just about anything can be thrown into this simple sauce