The simplest sauce, made with tomatoes and peppers, generously shares its flavor with a hearty plate of pasta. Topped with plenty of crumbled feta, fragrant oregano, and golden drops of olive oil, it brings together the colors, aromas, and memories of Greece.

I have loved this pasta dish since I was a child. There was a small eatery inside the Modiano Market in Thessaloniki, where they made this sauce, just tomatoes and peppers, practically nothing when you think about it, and mixed it with small pasta.

My father used to take me there when I was little. I still remember waiting impatiently for the plate to arrive and the excitement I felt as the wonderful aroma of the sauce and the warmth of the pasta slowly rose and reached my face. I would eat slowly and happily with a spoon, one piece of pasta at a time, savoring the rich sauce trapped inside, without caring about the line of people waiting outside. Simple things. Yet beauty and happiness are often hidden in simplicity.

🛒 Ingredients…

For the pasta

• 🍝 1 package (500 g) pasta of your choice
• 🫒 1/4 cup olive oil
• 🧈 1 tablespoon butter
• 🧂 Salt

For the sauce

• 🍅 2 cups grated tomatoes, fresh or canned
• 🫒 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 🫑 1 green pepper
• 🌶️ 1 red pepper
• 🍅 10 cherry tomatoes
• 🧊 1 vegetable stock cube (optional)
• 🌿 A little fresh oregano (optional)
• 🧂 Salt, pepper and a little sugar

Additionally

• 🧀 Grated cheese for serving, preferably feta

👩‍🍳 Preparation

For the pasta

Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water according to the package instructions and drain it. For every 100 g of pasta, use 1 litre of water and 10 g of salt.

Heat the olive oil and melt the butter in the same pot. Add the pasta and toss well. Remove from the heat.

For the sauce

Cut the peppers into small pieces. Heat the olive oil in another pot and sauté them over low heat for five minutes.

Add the grated tomatoes, one cup of water and the stock cube. Season carefully with salt, then add pepper and a pinch of sugar, about one level teaspoon.

Simmer until the sauce thickens to your liking. Five minutes before removing it from the heat, add the halved cherry tomatoes and the fresh oregano.

Serve the pasta, spoon the sauce over the top and finish with crumbled feta or any cheese you prefer. Garnish with a few fresh oregano leaves and drizzle with a little olive oil.

🔸 As for the little cheese ball you see on the plate, I usually use it in salads. It is made with 250 g cream cheese and 250 g feta, blended together until smooth. Then we shape the mixture into small balls and coat them with toasted sesame seeds. My younger daughter insists that it is perfect for whetting your appetite. As for me, I still believe that nothing beats crumbled feta on this pasta! But then again, taste is a personal matter… 😊

Enjoy!

Nanà… ✍️