Spaghetti Puttanesca (vegetarian version)

A very fresh tasting, vegetarian pasta dish. As I usually cook for myself, the following recipe is for a double portion of the sauce.

Ingredients:
3 Tbs olive oil
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 Tbs tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes (or 2 large tomatoes - save the liquid)
1/2 cup pitted black olives
1/2 Tbs capers
3 Tbs Fresh parsley
1 Tbs Fresh oregano
1 Tbs Fresh basil
Black pepper to taste
Spaghetti

Mise en place: Dice the onion into small cubes and mince the garlic, you may also mince the olives if you choose. I prefer to tear my herbs by hand into small, non-uniform cuts, but you may also mince these if you want.

The onion and tomato paste are separate from other ingredients. The garlic and red pepper flakes are added together. The tomatoes (with the liquid), olives, and capers are added together. The herbs and pepper are added at the end.

Cooking: Place a pot on medium heat and heat the olive oil. Put the onions in until they soften and caramelize - about 12-15 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook for about 1 minute.

Bring the heat to medium-low and add the diced tomatoes (with liquid), olives, and capers. Allow the sauce to thicken, about 15 minutes. Prepare pasta. When your pasta has about a minute left, add the herbs and pepper. Add sauce (lightly) to the pasta and enjoy.

Leftovers: If you have leftover sauce, I think this could make an amazing bruschetta topping. You may have to more finely chop the olives to make it easier to spread, or merely eat them on the side, since they're pretty tasty.

From Pharyngula wiki