The Recently Landed Spagetti Monster

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp olive oil (plus a bit more to toss into the pasta)
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp hot red pepper flakes
• 1 sprig fresh basil, coarsely chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried basil)
• 1 spring fresh oregano, finely chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried oregano)
• 4 tbsp capers, drained
• 1 cup sliced Kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup large green olives, sliced (the kind with pimento are fine)
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• salt and ground black pepper to taste (although the olives and capers are quite salty so be sure to taste the sauce before adding salt!)

Preparation:

• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan.
• Stir in the garlic, olives and capers and sautee 5 minutes to allow flavours to meld
• Mix in the tomatoes and spices (if using fresh spices, add them to the mixture before the tomatoes and sautee for another minute or two before adding the tomatoes)
• Bring the sauce just to a boil, then reduce heat to low, stirring to help break up the tomatoes.
• Simmer 15-20 minutes until liquid is reduced
• Stir in red wine
• Cook pasta according to package directions

Serving:

• Toss pasta with a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking (a bit of garlic powder is good here also)
• Put pasta in a large bowl, top with sauce and chopped parsely.