Napoleon Sauce

With all the cooking threads popping up lately and making me hungry when I read them, I thought I'd return the favour. This recipe is easy and only takes around half an hour ( probably a little longer your first time.) Have some pasta, you bastards.

Ingredients

Let's begin by getting out everything we'll need. This recipe originally fed 4 people, but I was eating alone tonight so I cut it in half to feed one hungry person and leave leftovers, or feed two if you're one of those people who communicates with other human beings. The halved measurements that I used in the pictures are what I give below. -1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil -Half of a very large white onion (one normal one would do) -5 slices bacon -14oz canned tomatoes, diced (coincidentally, half of a 28oz can) -1 Tbsp capers -1/2 Tbsp basil -Salt and pepper -A few black kalamata olives (your grocery store deli probably sells these, if you want to get a small quantity instead of that large jar I have) -250g (about 1/2 lb) spaghetti -Grated parmesan cheese

Method

Cut the onion up into fairly thin slices. Slice the bacon into bite-size strips.

Add olive oil to a large pan and place on medium-high heat. Give it a minute to get hot until the oil gets thin enough that by picking up the pan and tilting it you can spread the oil all over the surface. Now add the onions and bacon.

After you've got these started, put a generous amount of water in a pot and place covered over high heat. I didn't bother taking a picture of a pot full of water. If you don't know what a pot looks like please leave the Internet now.

Cook over medium-high heat, stirring regularily, until the onions become golden and the bacon cooked but not crisp. If you are anything like me, this smell has now made you really hungry and you should crack open a drink of some sort to keep yourself busy. I had delicious Heineken but did not indulge as I had to drive after dinner. Damnation. Anyway, your onion-bacon orgy should look something like this now:

Now, add your tomatoes, basil, capers, and some salt and pepper to taste.

Stir it up! Then reduce to medium heat and let it simmer.

Toss the pasta into your now-boiling water, stir it as it softens at the bottom, until it is all immersed.

Meanwhile, fish a few olives out. The ones I have come in brine, which is not a flavour you want mixed into your pasta. So, rinse them off with some warm water, then leave them in a bowl of hot tap water so they warm up. (Don't want to be putting cold olives on top of hot pasta! )

Okay, our sauce has been simmering for about 10 mins now, it's reduced a bit and looks like a good thickness, so I'll turn it down to low heat and let it sit while that pasta finishes cooking.

Get the pasta out after it's been cooked the amount of time the directions stipulate, while it's still al dente (slightly firm). We don't want it to get mushy. Drain it, use a pair of trusty tongs to serve onto a plate, top with the sauce. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese over it and garnish with the olives.

Now enjoy this tasteilicious dinner!

Writing that made me hungry, so I think I'll have to go find some dinner for tonight soon. Hope you guys enjoyed it, I had fun.