Pasta with Tomato Butter Sauce

Ingredients

• 8 ounces pasta, cooked according to package directions and drained (I used fettuccine)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced or whole tomatoes, undrained
• ¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ teaspoon salt (more or less, to taste)
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper (more or less, to taste)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or basil, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly (about 30 seconds).
2. Add tomatoes with juices, Italian seasoning, sugar and bay leaf. If using whole tomatoes, break up tomatoes with a spoon into about 1-inch pieces while bringing to a boil. Once sauce reaches a gentle boil, reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer.
3. Begin heating water in a large pot to boiling for the pasta and cook according to package directions while sauce is simmering.
4. Simmer sauce for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf and discard.  Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
5. Add cooked and drained pasta to sauce and toss to combine.  Serve sprinkled with chopped fresh parsley or basil, if desired.