Here’s a recipe for a pasta sauce that I gleaned from the now-defunct Café Central in Eugene, Oregon. Make the sauce while the water is coming to a boil, throw together a simple salad, and voilà! Dinner.

Steps

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized skillet, pour enough oil to just cover the bottom. Sauté the garlic over low heat until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, wine, a big pinch of salt, and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer and reduce until no longer sloshy. At this point, if the rest of dinner is still in production, turn off the heat.
3. Once you are ready to serve the pasta, bring the heat back up under the tomato sauce and whisk in the butter and a handful of chopped basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss pasta with sauce, top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and serve hot.