Today is the birthday (1593) of Artemisia Gentileschi, one of the most accomplished Italian painters of the 17th century, working in the style of Caravaggio. Apart from a number of self portraits, she painted mostly women from the Bible, including a number of representations of Judith slaying Holofernes (or with her maidservant and the head of Holofernes). The latter were all painted after she was raped by Agostino Tossi in 1611. She was the first woman to become a member of the Accademia di Arte del Disegno in Florence.
It was in the 17th century that pasta with tomato sauce was first introduced into Italy from Sicily, with Naples being its new home. The most basic sauce is pummarola, which is made in Naples to this day.
Ingredients
12 oz. ripe plum tomatoes
10-15 leaves fresh basil
olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
salt and pepper
Instructions
Boil a pan of water, take it off the stove, and immerse the tomatoes in it for a few minutes. After a while the skins will slip off easily. Dice the tomatoes.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook briefly and do not let it burn. Then add the diced tomatoes and cook to soften (3-5 minutes).
Tear the basil leaves and add them to the sauce along with salt and pepper to taste. Stir well.
Serve with spaghetti (or pasta of your choice). The most important thing is to cook the pasta al dente, drain, and then add to the pummarola in the skillet and mix well so that sauce and pasta are blended. DO NOT place cooked pasta on a plate and then pour the sauce on top of it.
Book of Days Tales 
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