Pasta Puttenesca

I used to make this all of the time when Mike was in vet school because it tastes great and is very inexpensive to make. I like to add chicken or tuna to it to give it more protein. It is kind of a "whatever you have in your cupboard and fridge" dish. I have to double this to feed our whole family. I got this recipe a long time ago from a cook book I no longer have. I have changed it quite a bit too, so sorry to the original author.

1/2 sweet onion, chopped very small

1 pepper chopped very small (optional, I just try to add more veggies when I can and peppers are easy to get away with. I prefer red, yellow, or orange, but you can use green. The others just taste sweeter)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Garlic (I use about 4 cloves, minced, but you can use however much you want)

1 28 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes (the Italian seasoned ones work really well. I drain about 1/3 of the juice off and then add the rest)

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1/2 can of black olives, sliced in half, or you can just add them whole (and you can use the whole can if you want. We usually only get about half in there because the other half gets eaten.)

1 Tablespoon of capers (optional)

1 to 2 teaspoons of dried basil, or I like to use 1/4 cup fresh if I have it. Some people like to add dried oregano, I prefer not to, but the original recipe did call for about 1 teaspoon.

Salt and pepper to taste

Sometimes I add a dash of sugar too

1 to 2 cups cooked chicken or 1 can of tuna, drained

Shredded Italian or Parm cheese

8 oz. of your favorite pasta

Saute pepper and onion, when they are soft add garlic. Saute for a few minutes. Add tomatoes, and tomato sauce. (After I do this I puree it because my family prefers a smoother sauce.) After they are heated through add black olives, capers, and chicken or tuna. Cook until heated through. Spoon sauce over your favorite pasta. Sprinkle with cheese. Enjoy!!