Charishma's Penne Arabiatta

I enjoy making this for my family and friends on weekends and for dinner parties. Enjoy it!

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 500  g penne pasta
• 8  liters water, to cook the pasta
• 3  medium onions, chopped
• 4 -6  tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2  garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 1  tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1  teaspoon salt (to taste)
• 3  pinches salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1⁄4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1⁄4 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
•  tomato ketchup, to taste
•  parmesan cheese, freshly grated to garnish

Directions

1. Heat oil in a pot.
2. Saute onion and garlic in the oil till the onion is transparent and the raw smell of garlic is gone.
3. Add tomatoes, parsley and spices. Cook on low heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a teaspoon of salt.
4. Cook pasta in water that should contain a good dash of salt (3 pinches). Cook, stirring often, until cooked al dente i.e. until the pasta has got just a slight bite to it.
5. Chef's tip: The pasta is ready when it's no longer hard in the middle.
6. Caution: If you don't use enough water, the starch from the pasta leaches out into the water and starts turning to glue - this results in the pasta getting stuck together.
7. Drain the pasta, shower with cold water, and place it back in the pot.
8. Add the onion-tomato-garlic-spice mixture to the drained pasta.
9. Now mix in the Tomato ketchup (Heinz brand is the best) to taste. Toss pasta in the ketchup to coat it well.
10. Transfer to a serving bowl.
11. Top with freshly grated cheese.
12. Serve hot with Marinara sauce.