A friend of mine told me about this dish. I had never heard about it, or seen it on a menu before. But she raved about it, so I decided to give it a try. And Ohhh My - This dish is going on the menu again soon in my house!

I love the tomato sauce with the spiciness and the well rounded flavors from the wine and pancetta. This dish is perfect for at weekday dinner. The sauce can easily be made a day or two in advance.

This recipe is adapted from a recipe on "Bonappetit.com, here is my version.

Serves 3-4.

Ingredients:

1 28-oz can (794 g) whole peeled tomatoes
1 (280 g) red onion
165 g pancetta
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
60 ml water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
120 ml white wine
balsamic to taste (use balsamic instead of sugar to balance the acidity)
salt & pepper to taste
225 g uncooked penne (pasta) - cooked al dente

Sprinkles:

parmesan cheese

Directions:

Purée the tomatoes with juices until smooth in a blender, set aside.

Cook onion, pancetta, oil, red pepper flakes, and water in a large pot over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until water is evaporated and fat begins to render, about 8–10 minutes.

Add tomato paste and cook until beginning to brown, while stirring, about 2 minutes. Add wine and cook, until reduced by half, it only take a few minutes.

Add the puréed tomato and bring it to a boil. Cover pan with a lid, reduce heat, and let it simmer for about 40–45 minutes. Season with balsamic, salt and pepper.

When sauce is almost done, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente, drain pasta.

Add pasta to sauce and toss to coat. Serve topped with parmesan cheese.