My hubs tells me I shouldn't share this recipe. He wants it to stay 'in the family' ... It's been shared with friends and family already, though - and it's such a super-delicious and easy recipe ... what can I say - I'm feeling generous. ;)

Here's the story.

My brother in law Armando's mother Maria made a spectacular tostada spread for my sister's graduation party several years back. Being an authentic Spanish-speaking family... it was a wonderful experience (taste buds included)!

I was enthralled by the simple red sauce that his mother put on the tostadas, and asked Armando to translate - "How did you make this amazing sauce? It's SO good! " I was expecting to hear a long-drawn out process of slowly letting the tomatoes cook and simmer... adding secret spices etc...

Instead, with a smile, my brother in law translated back to me "It's called El Pato. Look for a small can in the Mexican food aisle with a duck on it!"

I was amazed!

I began to experiment from then on with the magical El Pato. You can find this product in nearly EVERY grocery store's Hispanic Foods aisle.

On it's own, its a bit spicy... but it adds the PERFECT amount of heat to a medium salsa . Here is our favorite salsa recipe that came from those beginnings:

Now, I will admit there is a compromise in this recipe.

I typically only purchase canned goods with BPA-free lining because of the health risks involved. That means I soak my beans (saves money as well as improves digestibility), use frozen corn instead of canned... so really the only canned items that I purchase are tomatoes and Coconut Milk. Muir Glen Organics has a BPA free lined can, and so does Native Forest Organics (for Coconut Milk).

But, if you're up for 'tainting' your otherwise pure & organic ingredients a bit... this would be the time to go for it.

SARAH'S SIMPLEST (not perfectly pure) SALSA

1 large can whole tomatoes
1 can El Pato spicy tomato sauce (green or yellow can)
1 onion, diced
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro (or a large handful)

Empty contents of both cans into food processor. Grab approx. half of the bunch (or a large handful) of cilantro and throw it into the food processor. Pulse until cilantro is blended in, but not totally pureed. You want a bit of texture.

Chop onions by hand (important step) into a small dice. Add these to food processor and pulse just a few times to incorporate the onion. If you add the onion and puree it in - the onion flavor will be too strong.

That's about it!

Of course, there are many ways to add or enhance this salsa - fresh corn, jalapeno are just two of the ways you can change it up and have fun with it.

Dig in with your favorite chips, blend it into avocado for a heavenly guac, or top these fabulous Carnitas tacos with it!

I've had friends win salsa contests with this recipe - and it's always a hit wherever I bring it. Hope you enjoy!

I shared this Pork Carnitas recipe on the fabulous Plan To Eat blog. Get that recipe here.

I dream of traveling to Italy. The land of my maternal heritage holds such a strong personal draw for me. Italians find immense pleasure in growing, cooking & eating food. We delight in the process - and seem to value knowing where each ingredient comes from. In my own imagination... all other Italians can relate to stopping after that first bite of food (that which you took part in growing, cooking & serving) and getting a bit teary eyed at the wonder of it all. Shown above is a picture of my maternal great grandmother - Marina Scarpenti - standing proudly in front of her green beans. And me in my garden, the first year we dug up the lawn.

I do not have many Italian relatives left with whom I can learn from. I want to visit Italy - see the villages and towns that mia famiglia came from -and meet some of them. I don't need to do the typical tourist thing... I hope to find a sweet Italian mama who will let me sit in her kitchen and watch her cook. Someday...

Until then, I find great joy in creating simple dishes that remind me of something Grandma Scarpenti might have made.

Home made pasta is an experience.

Why go to the trouble? Because it is completely different than dried pasta... and for me - the process of making it from scratch is romantic - and it connects me to my roots.

The process is also quite simple. All you need are eggs and flour.

In Italy - they use Tipo '00' flour - which is very finely ground. In my local searching - Bread flour is comparable. It's very finely ground. Also, blend in some Durum Wheat Semolina. This contains high levels of gluten to make it elastic.

I like to make a 'well' on my cutting board with the flour.

Then, crack in some beautiful fresh eggs.

Begin mixing together. I use my pastry scraper at first...

But eventually, you have to get your hands into it... Afterall, your hands are your best tool.

Mix and knead for a few minutes,

Until it's nice and smooth

Wrap it in some plastic to keep from drying out - and let rest for 30 minutes. You've worked the gluten in the dough nicely, but now it needs to rest so that you can roll it out. Otherwise, it will want to shrink back up, and will be difficult to roll thinly enough.

After it has rested, begin rolling.

You want to get it as thin as you can. I pick mine up, flip it over, dust it with a bit of flour if it's still sticky and keep rolling.

Then, take your large sheet of nice, thin pasta and roll it up gently. Taking care not to squish it.

With a sharp knife - cut your pasta to the desired width.

Gently unroll each piece and set it aside to wait while the water boils.

Little people love this part...

Add some friends, and it's done in a flash! (we made a huge batch this evening!)

Bring a BIG pot of water to a boil while you are making your pasta. Salt the water generously. It should taste salty. This is important. You will only need to boil this fresh pasta for a couple of minutes. Taste it and don't over-cook!

Here is a quick lunch I made the other afternoon when I didn't know what to make. I was out of a lot of things... but I DID have eggs and flour. This batch was made with bread flour and (freshly ground) whole wheat flour. I sauteed some garlic in some bacon drippings, then added chopped broccoli leaves (and a few florets) from the garden - salt and pepper and some grated hard cheese... perfetto! Simple yet delicious.

If you want to watch another Italian making pasta - you'll love watching Gennaro Contaldo make pasta dough. And seeing how quickly he can roll it out.

If you have dietary restrictions - just adjust the flour type you use. The other night, I made three different pasta doughs to suit my guests.

Traditional Pasta Dough:

3 Eggs
2 cups bread flour and 1/2 cups semolina flour

Gluten-free Pasta Dough:

3 Eggs
2 and 1/2 cups Rice flour, Quinoa (or corn) flour (I added a bit of arrowroot powder - though it's not really necessary)

Egg-free Pasta Dough:

2 and 1/2 cups Semolina & bread flour
enough water & drizzle of olive oil to bring the dough together

I will admit - the traditional recipe was the best. But I love the fact that it's possible to adjust things for those in your life whom you love. Everyone loves to twirl up a bite of pasta. I'd love to know if you give this a try!

Buon appetito!

Award winning simple salsa!

Home made pasta - no fancy tools required...

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