grape tomato pasta sauce

one day last week i looked at a box of grape tomatoes i had on my refrigerator shelf and decided to try another fresh approach to a pasta topping.  i used the entire box of fresh grape tomatoes, mixed freshly cut parsley, basil and oregano from my garden, with a chopped white onion.  with a splash of olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper, i began to cook the tomatoes.  within minutes they softened and opened, allowing the juices to meld together with the other ingredients in the pot

i realized that one basket of grape tomatoes would not be enough to serve three adults, so i added some boxed tomatoes with gave me the correct consistency for my pasta sauce.

this sauce was perfect, tasty and fresh.  i particularly like this brand of boxed chopped tomatoes.  although they are not the same as fresh tomatoes, they are a wonderful staple to have in the pantry when fresh are not available.  they complimented the taste and flavor i had created and boosted the amount of sauce as it had cooked down to a smaller amount.  when judging how much sauce would be needed for a meal, i would double the amount of fresh product in your mind, as fresh vegetables do cook down and reduce in size, but increase and enhance the flavor of the dish.  their concentrated taste and texture cannot be matched with a processed product.