Simple Pasta Recipe, with a Touch of Juniper

So this is just a bit of a simple pasta recipe made from some stuff from the garden - a simple pasta sauce with spaghetti, but isn't traditional (I don't think). Basically, we've got basil and tomatoes growing, but we've also got Juniper berries, which I decided could be a go. Ultimately, it added a slightly fruity peppery hit to the dish which I really enjoyed! Check out the recipe below:

Ingredients

Half a Bulb of Garlic, minced 1 White Onion, Minced 1 Stalk of Celery, Minced 1 Carrot, Minced 1kg sweet tomatoes, diced (or from the tin) A handful of basil, Minced 2 Tablespoons of Tomato Paste 1 Tablespoon of Juniper Berries, Ground Salt Pepper Olive Oil Fresh basil leaves to garnish.

Spaghetti, dried (or fettuccine or whatever)

Method

A generous lug of olive oil in a large pan, on a medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, celery, carrot. Sauté on a medium heat until soft, add the juniper berries. Continue to sauté until fragrant, then add the tomato paste, tomatoes and basil along with a couple of cups of water. Cook down for about ten minutes, then blend until smooth. Back into the pan and reduce down until nice and thick. Season until just right. (if your tomatoes are a bit shite, you can add just a teaspoon of brown sugar to the sauce to get it somewhere in the ballpark of a good tomato.

Boil spaghetti, then transfer the spaghetti straight from the pot JUST before its cooked, and cook it down until the spaghetti is cooked and the sauce is thick. Serve with basil and a drizzle of olive oil.

Enjoy! .