1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 tablespoons minced garlic from a jar or
fresh, to taste
1 tablespoon chopped dried onion or fresh onion, minced, to taste
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar (optional, but does bring out the flavor of the tomato
sauce)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (i use chili powder)
1 1/3 cup water
1/3 cup wine or 1/3 cup water (you need the liquid; the wine adds a nice
full flavor)
6 to 8 ounces vermicelli (must be vermicelli...otherwise it won't cook all
the way through)
dump into a medium pot everything but the pasta. bring to a boil on
medium high heat. add the vermicelli, and return to a boil. stir
gently, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. stir while
pasta is cooking---it will stick to the bottom of the pot. i stir it
every 3 or 4 minutes. you may need to lower the heat. spices are
adjustable, i just throw in however much until it smells good to me,
on that particular night. leftovers rehated the next day are just as
good, if not better. the vermicelli absorbs the flavors of the
tomato sauce, while thickening the sauce. i find if i use a can of
tomatoes with salt added during canning, i don't need to add any
salt at the end. yum!
this is such an easy and quick dish, one of those that you can make
on a night when you don't feel like cooking. enjoy!