I was searching for an easy-to-prepare dish that was light and refreshing. I stumbled across a few inspiration recipes in Food Network Magazine, epicurious.com, and allrecipes.com and created this. It turned out just like I thought it would – light, but with a bite 😉

Pasta with Tomatoes and Artichokes

1 14 ounce can artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 28 ounce cans whole tomatoes, crushed*
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
12 ounces pasta of choice, cooked

1. Heat olive oil in medium saucepan. Add onions and cook until almost translucent. Add in garlic and cook until onion are translucent.
2. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, parsley, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add in artichoke hearts (liquid, too!) and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
4. Serve over cooked pasta.

*I crushed the tomatoes with a potato masher in the pot. Super easy and not at all messy!