Spaghetti with Apple Tomato Sauce

When Tina announced that this month's Crazy Cooking Challenge theme was spaghetti, I have to admit, I was a little disappointed.  To me, there's really nothing special about spaghetti.  It's such a quick and easy dish, one that is usually made when there are only a few minutes to make dinner.  Boil noodles, open a jar of sauce, heat it up and you've got dinner. Right?  Wrong!

Apparently there is a lot more to spaghetti than I thought!  As I began my search for the ultimate spaghetti recipe, I realized how many recipes there are for something I thought was so very simple.  When I came across Joanne's recipe, I knew I wanted to try it.  Her recipe is so different from any spaghetti sauce I've seen before.  It's simple.  No overload of spices, no hours of simmering.  Quick, easy, and delicious.  But wait...apples?  In spaghetti sauce?  That was way new to me, and so of course, I had to try it!

I'm thrilled that I tried this recipe.  Like I said, it's totally different from any spaghetti sauce I've had before.  The apples bring a totally new element into the tomato sauce by adding a bit of sweetness.  I forgot to top the sauce with the cheese before taking a picture, but the cheese added a bit of salty goodness to the sauce.  The combination was fantastic!

Voting has changed since previous challenges, and the Ultimate recipe winner is now chosen by the number of clicks to that recipe.  If you'd like to vote for me, I'd really appreciate it!  Just click on my the thumbnail picture of my recipe below (#83)  Thanks!

Spaghetti with Apple Tomato Sauce

Serves 4

You will need:
1 28-oz can of plum tomatoes (I couldn't find plum so I just used whole canned tomatoes)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
3 tart apples (I used Jonathon), peeled, cored, and grated
1/2 pound spaghetti noodles, cooked
1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano

1.  Pour the canned tomatoes into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.  (I used my hand-held immersion blender, and it worked perfectly.)

2.  Pour the olive oil into a large skillet (or saucepan) and heat over medium heat.  Add the onions and saute until caramelized.

3.  Stir the tomatoes into the onions and season with the salt.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4.  Stir the grated apples into the tomato sauce and bring to a simmer again.  Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  The sauce should thicken slightly and the apples should be tender.

Serve sauce over spaghetti noodles and topped with parmigiano-reggiano.

Source:  Eats Well With Others