Day 4 - Pasta Pomodoro

Gary was craving spaghetti, even though that was planned for tomorrow's supper meal. So he went through his recipe books/magazines and chose this wonderful Pasta Pomodoro.

Prep: 10 mins / Total: 25 mins

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 796ml can of plum tomatoes (or freshly diced tomatoes into bite-sized chunks)
• 450g package of spaghetti
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil (optional)
• Grated parmesan (optional)

Instructions:

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high. Add oil, then garlic. Cook, stirring frequently for 1 minute. Do not brown garlic. 
2. Add the tomatoes and their juice. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is slightly thickened, 12 to 12 minutes. 
3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water, following the package's directions but omitting salt, until al dente. Drain.
4. Add pasta to tomato sauce. Stir to coat. Remove from heat. Let stand until pasta absorbs sauce, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and/or parmesan if desired, just before serving. 

Serves 4

Per serving: 553 calories, 16g protein, 94g carbs, 13g fat, 6g fibre, 262g sodium, excellent source of vitamin C.  

This recipe and its nutritional values were taken from Chatelaine's Dinner in 30

Gary was only feeding his two best friends today so he decided to make a half-recipe. He used fresh tomates instead of canned and opted on not adding any basil, and sprinkling a tiny bit of parmesan cheese on top of the meal. Here he is proudly presenting the meal: 

And as an added treat, he also made a quick dessert his granny used to make Fraises Écrasées, which translates to "Crushed Strawberries." The mélange of fresh local strawberries, sugar, and whipping cream makes Gary's mouth water. He can't help but munch on the job!