Artichoke Marinara Pasta : Shelf-Cooking Day 34

Well, not quite. I still had fresh tomatoes to go through. But if you do not have any on hand, a can of crushed or whole tomatoes will do the job- and then you are officially a professional shelf-cooker! Most of the recipes I have posted in the past 2 weeks have been so that you could easily substitute fresh ingredients with canned goods in order to minimise your trips to the store- but not the flavours in your dishes!

For today's pasta dinner, I have opted for that lonely little marinated artichoke jar in the back of my cupboard. To be honest, I typically throw it in salads and on flat breads for a vitamin-packed and fresh produce pizza night. However, as we are trying to stretch our fresh produce through as many meals as possible, loads of starch help greatly in that process. And what better to (wine) accompany a bowl of carbs than a good old, simple as heck, marinara sauce?

Now. Get ready for an abundance of spaghetti shots. No really, the noodles were covered in flour and it was ever so aesthetically pleasing.

You will need,

Spaghetti (I used about half a box for 3 bowls in total)

Large cherry tomatoes (about 12 in total, chopped in quarters)

Garlic (4 cloves, minced)

Shallot (1, thinly sliced)

Yellow onion (1, chopped)

Marinated artichoke (1 jar, keep some of the juice!)

Olive oil (a ton)

Sea salt

Black pepper

Red wine (I have a non-scientifically proven thesis that it helps with the onion-cutting teary eyes situation)

Optional: shrimps sautéed in garlic butter and Parmesan

A few steps,

1. In a large skillet over medium-heat, toss olive oil, garlic, shallots and onions until tender. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Add tomatoes and stir for 5 minutes.

3. Separate the artichoke leaves from their core and add to the tomato sauce. For extra flavour, add 2-3 tablespoons of the jar's marinated juice.

4. Lower heat and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Remove from heat.

5. Add cooked pasta into the skillet and mix thoroughly. Taste for salt and pepper.

If desired, add grilled shrimps and Parmesan,