Marathon Pasta
This meal provides plenty of carbohydrates to fuel your training, with traditional Greek flavours fitting to as a tribute to the town of Marathon.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups chopped onions
- 1-2 cloves garlic (according to taste) chopped
- 28 ounce (800g) can chopped or crushed tomatoes
- 8 small to medium bay leaves plus a few more to garnish
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 dozen pitted Kalmata olives
- 2 tsp Greek rigani or oregano
- 1 pound (450g) penne or pasta of your choice
- ⅓ cup Parmesan plus more for serving
Instructions
- Pour the oil into a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onions and garlic and cook gently for about four minutes until they have softened.
- Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme and fennel seeds.
- Simmer for about 10 minutes or until some of the tomato juice has evaporated and the sauce has thickened.
- Stir in the Kalamata olives along with the rigani or oregano and cook for another five minutes, or long enough to heat the olives through. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove bay leaves. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts (3.75 Litre) of water to boil in a large pan.
- Add a tablespoon of salt, then penne or other pasta.
- Stir to separate the pieces and cook for 7-8 minutes or until tender but still firm.
- Drain. To serve, toss the pasta with about half the sauce and transfer to a warmed platter or to individual plates.
- Top with more sauce.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve more at the table.
Notes
From: Hopley, Claire; (July/August 2002) A Celebration of History Creating a Pasta Dish from Marathon in: Running Times