Spaghetti with Fresh and Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

Begin by boiling water for pasta, according to the directions. While the water is coming to a boil, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Dice the onion and mince the garlic finely. When the oil is hot, add the onion, covering with a lid. Brown for 2 minutes, stirring once or twice. Meanwhile, roughly chop the sun-dried tomatoes, and after seeding the fresh one, chop that as well. Add both to the skillet. Cook for about a minute and a half, then pour in the red wine. Stirring occasionally, let the wine reduce so that it becomes almost syrupy in texture and the alcohol has evaporated, about 3-4 minutes. (You can drop your pasta into the boiling water at this time) Then add the garlic. When the garlic has softened, adjust your seasonings: add salt, fresh-ground pepper to taste, and some sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. By this time, your pasta should be ready – be careful not to overcook it! In fact, it’s better to leave it slightly undone, since you’ll be finishing it in the sauce. Take your pasta off the burner, and drain it. Instead of returning it to the pot, transfer it directly to the skillet with the sauce. Toss to coat. When plating this dish, julienne some fresh basil – it truly makes a difference. The easiest method I’ve found for julienne: take your basil leaves and roll them from the tip to the stem and simply slice finely. Sprinkle over the finished dish, and you will have something worthy of your local Italian restaurant!