Recipe: Gina Caputo’s Italian Special Sauce
July 1, 2016


Ready to make your taste buds smile? One of the reasons we love traveling so much is to enliven all of our senses, and we cannot wait to head to Italy this fall to fully experience each and every one.
To get us excited for our upcoming Yoga Retreat in Umbria, we asked yoga teacher and retreat leader, Gina Caputo, to share one of her favorite Italian recipes.
Be sure to get cooking, and let us know what you think!
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and pressed
1 pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 28oz. can of Muir Glen Organic Diced Tomatoes
1 teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon Organic Chicken or Vegetable base mixed with 8oz. of boiling water
1 big bunch of fresh basil
Sea salt
1 Tbsp butter (optional for vegans, use olive oil in it’s place)
Instructions:
1. Add the olive oil to a large saute pan.
2. Put minced garlic and red pepper flakes in too. Place the pan on the stove at medium heat.
3. Once the garlic gets fragrant but before it browns, add the can of tomatoes (including juices), the bouillon/water liquid, the basil leaves and a large pinch of sea salt. Stir to mix well.
4. Simmer over low heat for approximately 25 minutes and stir frequently. Taste and add salt as needed.
5. When you’re ready to serve, remove from the heat and either add the butter and stir until it melts or a glug of olive oil to add an unctuousness to the sauce. If you don’t like chunks, you can pour the sauce into a blender to make it perfectly smooth or keep it rustic.
6. Serve over your favorite pasta (salt your pasta water!) or vegetables and prepare to have your soul expand at least three sizes.