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Dinners, Lunches, Recipes · January 27, 2022

3 Ingredient Tomato Sauce!

With everyone hunkering down in their homes to prevent the spread of COVID-19, many of us have stockpiled pasta noodles for the future. Eating the same plain noodles every night will get repetitive and boring, so spice things up by making this simple and fresh sauce!

I’ve partnered with Jess from Cotton & Co. Vintage Boutique to bring you this delicious recipe by using one of the veggie dip mixes offered in the general store! I used the garden vegetable mix as it paired well and provided a strong flavor without getting overwhelming in the dish.


While the shop helps follow local protocol for the virus going around, the physical doors are shut; BUT… you can still purchase items from the general store by checking out the Cotton & Co. Facebook page and getting in contact with Jess to make an online purchase!


For now, let’s get into the recipe!

This recipe has a bit of fluidity to the ingredients depending on what you’ve got in your pantry. If you have access to fresh tomatoes, they work best and provide the freshest flavor. If you’re relying on canned tomatoes, they will work just as well and will be less work to prepare.
It’s also possible to make this recipe without the garden vegetable dip mix, though there is a lot more measuring required to get similar results.

Ingredients

  • 3 large tomatoes or 1-2 cans chopped tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup reserved pasta water
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 1 box angel hair pasta 1 pkg. Garden Vegetable Dip mix from the general store

For a DIY herb mix

  • 1/2 tbsp. minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil
  • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. ground oregano
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. thyme or lemon thyme
  • 1 tsp. parsley
  • 1/2 tsp. sage
  • Salt and pepper for taste

While the herb mix you can make at home won’t match the flavor of the garden herb mix bought prepackaged, it will still provide a fresh and exciting flavor pallet for your next meal!

Instructions

  1. Boil water for cooking pasta and add salt for flavor. Cook according to boxed instructions. Reserve pasta water before straining noodles.
  2. If using fresh tomatoes, cut into roughly 1/2″ pieces, though the shapes will be more organic. Reserve any tomato juice provided while chopping.
  3. Combine tomatoes with the garden veggie mix or DIY herb mix. With the noodles still strained, add the pasta water to the pot and stir in the tomato mixture. Simmer until some of the water evaporates, but not before the tomatoes are all that is left in the pot—about 2-3 minutes.
  4. Cut the heat to the sauce mixture and stir in noodles, allowing all to get evenly coated. Add butter and keep lidded to melt. Stir again and serve!
  5. Serve with fresh tomatoes and parmesan cheese atop.

I originally made this recipe as a quick meal prep for a busy school week, but now I am craving it for the ease of cooking such a simple recipe. In the photos, you may notice I didn’t stir my noodles and get an even coating, as I wanted the noodles to last several days.


I also left the pasta water out of my original recipe as I prefer a fresher tomato and am not particularly fond of the texture they take on when heated.
Nonetheless, you should definitely experiment with this superfruit and see what works best for you!


My entire state has gone through a tough time recently trying to cope with the newfound virus and I ask for everyone to continue doing their part in keeping the public safe. I work at a grocery store so unfortunately, I will continue to risk getting exposed, though there are many riskier jobs that rely on others to stay safe.


It is important to remember to stay calm during these times and find peace in the time spent around the house and with family. Keep your loved ones in your thoughts and acknowledge that we as the public are our best enforcers of safety measures.


Feel free to visit my social media @theuntamedoptimist for any feedback or questions about what it’s like in a state affected by the virus. Stay healthy everyone!

Posted By: byshannonamos@gmail.com · In: Dinners, Lunches, Recipes

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Who remembers these journals? They were the very f Who remembers these journals? They were the very first product I ever made with my TUO photography on it and I still have a couple leftover 💕 I of course kept one for myself and have since filled it almost halfway full of journal entries straight from the heart

What would you use this journal for?
Alright y’all, who’s ready for my Italian herb Alright y’all, who’s ready for my Italian herb cracker recipe?! 🙋🏻‍♀️ I made these for our trip to Deep Creek as we always stop by @fireflymarketdeepcreek and they made the perfect base for all the different flavors we got 🤤

I’m in the final stages of getting this posted, so keep an eye out!
I’ve been considering an update to last year’s I’ve been considering an update to last year’s post on fall earring inspiration… these definitely need to make it on there!
There’s always something to admire in the space There’s always something to admire in the space around us. This little guy was happy buzzing around (quite loudly) while I washed my car and I couldn’t help but watch him for a while. If you’re lucky, you can catch them leaping from one flower to the next, letting their wings dance around in the wind rather than putting them to work.
In case you didn’t know, the Untamed Optimist is In case you didn’t know, the Untamed Optimist is 7 years old as of August 2023 and I couldn’t be more proud of where it’s come in all these years. I know it’s been pushed to the back burner recently as my other business has picked up, but I can’t wait to make more TUO content for you in the coming weeks ☺️ thank you for sticking with me all this time, and get ready for new posts by #theuntamedoptimist coming soon!

I’m definitely sharing my Italian herb cracker recipe with you cause it was just too damn good not to, and I’ve got a few new ideas brewing for my local readers 😉 you’ll have to stay tuned for that one though!
There’s something so special about the wildflowe There’s something so special about the wildflowers that pop up around our garden spaces. The ones that are planted by the birds and cultivated by only Mother Nature’s touch.

Some might consider them weeds, but I know they serve a purpose. Take a moment to appreciate the ‘weeds’ in your yard today.
Our Hostas are blooming and I’m feeling grateful Our Hostas are blooming and I’m feeling grateful for the long lasting blooms we get this time of year. I made a point to scatter the Hostas around the garden beds earlier this season in an effort to do two things:

Toward the end of last summer, the hostas had completely outgrown their space and weren’t living up to their potential. Dividing them filled the otherwise empty spaces in our beds whilst allowing each individual plant to grow bigger to fill it in.

While the largest section of Hostas wasn’t quite as showy as last year, our garden is already fuller and will only fill in more as the years go on. Turns out, plants and people aren’t so different if you think about it 🤔
It’s important to be present in each moment as i It’s important to be present in each moment as it comes. I try to remember this as often as I can and my garden is often the best reminder.

Each bloom changes day by day. The colors and conditions are always a sight to see and I don’t think I’ll ever not look forward to it. Nothing beats an evening stroll during harvest season.

Ask yourself, how do you ground yourself in the present? There are more opportunities than you may expect.
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