Fusilli with Neapolitan-style Tomato Sauce

Although nothing can beat the taste of a fresh tomato sauce made from just-picked, sun-ripened Roma tomatoes, this is the next best thing. Since the tomato season is so short, we enjoy this delicious and simple sauce the rest of the year. This quantity of sauce goes with about 500 grams of pasta, but you can cook less pasta and store the remaining sauce in the refrigerator. Use within 5 days.

Makes about 1 litre of sauce / Serves 6

Ingredients

• 3tbsp Clearspring Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 ts dried oregano
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or crushed (about 2 tsp)
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 stick celery, finely chopped
• 800g tinned organic chopped tomatoes
• 1tsp Clearspring Mikawa Mirin
• 500 grams Semi Whole Wheat Fusilli
• 2 tbs fresh basil, coarsely chopped
• Clearspring Traditional Sea Salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

1. In a medium saucepan heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over a medium-low heat, add oregano, onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes.
2. Add the carrot, celery and a small pinch of salt and sauté briefly. Cover and cook for about 8-10 minutes, until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
3. While vegetables are cooking, put 3 litres of water for boiling pasta in a large pot over a high heat.
4. Add the tomatoes and mirin to the vegetables, increase the heat to high until simmering, then lower to medium and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
5. When the sauce is nearly done, add a teaspoon of salt and the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the directions on the pack, until ‘al dente'.
6. While the pasta is cooking, remove the sauce from the heat, stir in the basil and remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Drain the pasta, toss it with enough sauce to coat generously, and serve immediately.

Chef

John & Jan Belleme

John & Jan Belleme are leading autorities on the healing powers of traditional Japanese foods. Before turning his focus to food and health, John was a research biologist for the Veteran's association in Miami, Florida, and he worked in laboratories at the Universities of Miami Medical School and Harvard University Medical School.

For more than twenty-five years John has applied his background in medical research to interpreting the literature on traditional Japanese medicinal foods.

In 1979, after living and studying in Japan for over a year - where the Bellemes learned the craft of miso making firsthand - they co-founded the American Miso Company, one of the world's largest producers of traditional miso.

Since the 1980s the Bellemes have researched and written, and in many cases illustrated, over 130 published articles on the subject of Japanese foods, including four books: Culinary Treasures of Japan; Cooking with Japanese Foods: A Guide to the Traditional Natural Foods of Japan; Clearspring - The Real Taste of Japan and The Miso Book.

John and Jan travel throughout the eastern United States giving lectures about authentic Japanese foods, and every winter, with partner Sandy Pukel, organise a week-long health cruise that features prominent experts in macrobiotic cooking, healthy living, holistic medicine, yoga, meditation, shiatsu, Pilates, and natural beauty aids. They live in Saluda, North Carolina.