Simple Homemade Pasta and Chunky Garden Tomato Sauce Its what's for lunch!

You don't need any special gadgets or pasta machines to enjoy fresh homemade pasta. A pizza wheel and a ruler will help but even that isn't necessary. Be ready for a real treat. Don't expect your fresh pasta to taste like that dried stuff you get out of a box - this is the real deal. Your pasta will be hearty and delicious. After you have mastered the basic recipe you can experiment by adding your favorite herbs or even garden fresh pesto to your dough.

Simple Homemade Pasta

(Serves Four)

3 Eggs

1-2 cups all-purpose flour (or fresh ground pastry flour)

· Crack the eggs in a

medium size bowl and beat slightly.

· Add flour to the eggs, ½ cup at a time.

· Mix until you have slightly sticky

dough.

· Knead it for a short time.

· Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in fridge 1 hour.

· Roll out on a lightly flour surface as thin as possible.

· Sprinkle flour over dough and roll in a long trouble.

· Cut tube into 1/8 to ¼ inch thick slices and unroll into a long strand of

pasta.

· Drape over a coat hanger while you are boiling a pot of water with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.

· When it comes to a full boil toss in the noodles and let them cook for only 3-5 minutes. (Less time than dried pasta).

· Drain and serve with Chunky Pasta Sauce.

Chunky Garden Pasta Sauce

(Serves Four)

8 large or 12 small fresh garden tomatoes

(canned will work if it is off-season)

2-3 Tablespoons olive oil

¼ - ½ cup Minced onion

4 Garlic cloves, peeled and diced

½ Cup Fresh Mushrooms

1 small Green pepper (optional- from the garden)

¼ Cup Fresh Basil (from the herb garden)

1 teaspoon Garlic Salt

1 Teaspoon Dried oregano (from the herb garden)

1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning (from the herb garden)

2 Bay leaves ( used to have Bay trees in Florida)

For fresh tomatoes:

Peel Tomatoes:Boil a small pot of water. Completely cover whole fresh tomato in boiling water for 30 seconds stem side down. Scoop out tomato with slotted spoon and peel under cool running water. Cut into quarters and mash with a potato masher or in a food processor. Drain off about half the water (I save it or freeze it to use later for soups).

In large sauce pan over medium heat coat the bottom with good extra virgin olive oil. Add the onion, mushrooms, green pepper and garlic - sauté. Pour in the tomatoes, basil, bay leafs, garlic salt, oregano, and Italian seasoning. Turn it to low heat put a lid on it and simmer. Even though you can eat it after a few minutes, a slow simmer helps the flavors to blend. 45 minutes to an hour is best. If you make a large enough batch to have any left over, it will be even better the next day. Adding a little sugar (I use natural Agave) helps to balance the acid in the tomatoes.

Top with fresh grated Parmesan and serve with crusty bread and a crisp garden salad - a bottle of homemade red wine would be good too - but that is another blog...