Your New Favorite Pasta Sauce:  Spicy Minty Tomato Sauce

If you like the heat of arrabiatta sauce, you'll love this spicy minty tomato sauce with a secret ingredient: tomato leaves! Yes, tomato leaves are edible, and yes, they add a depth of flavor that truly makes this tomato sauce shine.

Steep a few sprigs while you make your sauce and enjoy the complex blend of herbs and spices with your favorite pasta.

It’s quick, it’s easy, and it doesn’t involve skinning or seeding tomatoes.

Ingredients – 2 pounds tomatoes – 1/2 cup packed fresh parsley – 1/3 cup packed fresh mint – 4 to 5 large cloves garlic – 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil – 1/3 cup packed fresh tomato leaves – 1 tablespoon ground black pepper – 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

If needed, chop your tomatoes into smaller chunks to fit your blender. Puree the tomatoes, parsley, mint, garlic, and olive oil as smooth (or as chunky) as you like your sauce to be. Puree in batches if necessary.

Combine the puree and tomato leaves in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes to infuse and thicken the sauce. Stir in the ground black pepper (don't be afraid, put it all in!) and red pepper flakes.

When done, discard the tomato leaves and use the sauce right away in your favorite recipe, or decant into a lidded jar and refrigerate.

Swipe up to learn more.