Spicy Lemon Marinara

Is it dinnertime already? What's in the kitchen? Half a lemon, ruffly pasta, can of tomatoes. A couple nights ago I was too hungry to care if it would be weird... put enough sugar or salt in something and it'll turn out okay, right? Well, it was tangy, sweet and with just enough spice to warm me up. I bought a whole bag of lemons to keep experimenting. Enjoy!

Spicy Lemon Marinara

1 T olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 can petite-dice tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
2-3 tsp dried herbs (any combination of basil, thyme, rosemary, and/or oregano)
juice of 1/2 a lemon
a few shakes of red pepper flakes
salt to taste

Put oil in a large, shallow pan over medium-high heat, add onion and saute until fragrant and just starting to turn translucent (about 3 minutes), then add garlic and mushrooms. Cook another 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is soft and the mushrooms are cooked through. Stir in tomatoes, sugar, herbs, lemon juice, and pepper flakes. When it bubbles, add salt to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp), turn down the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes while you cook your pasta. Add water to thin the sauce, if needed. Serve over the hot, cooked pasta of your choice, with steamed asparagus or broccoli and garlic bread.