If there’s one thing you should know how to cook – whether it’s for yourself, your family or for unexpected guests who might be arriving on short notice, it’s a good quality pasta pomodoro. Pasta pomodoro, or spaghetti al pomodoro is classic Italian dish of pasta tossed in a light tomato sauce with garlic and fresh herbs. So easy to make and delicious! Ripe tomatoes, fragrant fresh basil and loads of garlic are simmered in fruity olive oil then tossed with hot al dente pasta. It’s a really good recipe to lean on if you’re stuck on what to make for dinner and don’t have a lot of time on your hands- this recipe comes out consistently great, and is always a huge crowd pleaser that gets loads of compliments every time I make it.
Incredible flavor in the sauce even if you only simmer it for 20 minutes. You can cook the sauce low and slow for up to an hour to really deepen the flavor though! Serve this spaghetti pomodoro with a simple side dish like this Spring Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette and Baguette Croutons and some crusty garlic bread and you’re all set!
Pomodoro Sauce
Pomodoro, or “tomato” in Italian, is one of the easiest, freshest, most flavorful sauces and I love it because as far as pasta recipes go, it’s really hard to mess this one up. You can cook this sauce with your eyes closed basically! Because the ingredient list is so short, it’s really important to use the highest quality ingredients you can find for each part of the sauce.
Everything You Need To Make The Best Pasta Pomodoro
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Yes, you really can tell the difference between regional olive oils! Any kind will work in a pinch, but if you can get your hands on Neapolitan, Greek, or Palestinian olive oil then these will take your pomodoro sauce to the next level.
- Ripe Tomatoes: This sauce needs two pounds of fresh tomatoes. We are not always blessed with the best tomatoes here in Arizona, so canned whole San Marzano tomatoes are the next best thing. Canned at peak ripeness, using whole tomatoes is key as a lot of the fresh flavor is still stored inside the tomato, rather unscathed by the canning process.
- Fresh Basil: Probably the only non-negotiable ingredient here, fresh basil is a must as dried basil simply will not produce those distinctive, verdant licorice notes that fresh basil can. It really is the secret ingredient to making this sauce stand out with such a short roster!
- Fresh Garlic: And lots of it! I used 4 whole cloves for one pound of pasta, which are fried in the olive oil to infuse it then are removed. If you like your sauce extra garlicky, blend them into the sauce while cooking.
- Pasta: Fresh or dried, I personally think a good pomodoro sauce just belongs with spaghetti or bucatini because they’re so good at twirling up the sauce! Of course, penne or your favorite pasta shape will do.
- For Serving: this is optional, but I love stirring in grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese because what’s pasta night without a generous dusting of cheese?
Make It Your Way
You can easily tweak this pasta pomodoro recipe to make it your own!
- Make it gluten free: Use brown rice or corn pasta and toss it with that lovely tomato sauce!
- Make it spicy: Add 1//2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes to give this pomodoro sauce a kick!
- Make it dairy free: Omit the Parmigiano Reggiano to keep this dish dairy free and lactose free.
Delicious Pasta Pomodoro in 4 Easy Steps
- Cook your pasta. Add a big handful of of salt to a large pot of water and boil your pasta until just before al dente, about 2-3 minutes undercooked.
- Cook the sauce. Add olive oil to a large skillet and cook your garlic for about 1-2 minutes, being careful not to burn it. Crush the tomatoes with your hands and stir them in with the salt and basil sprigs.
- Puree the sauce. Reserve a cup of pasta water, and add half of it to the tomato sauce in your skillet. Add it all to a blender or use an immersion blender to blend the sauce with the pasta water until it’s pureed but still has some nice chunks of tomato in it.
- Mix in the pasta. Add your drained hot pasta to the skillet with the tomato sauce and gently toss to combine. Add more pasta water to loosen the sauce as needed. Simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes until pasta is al dente.
- Garnish & serve. Taste the pasta and season with salt as needed, then top Parmigiano Reggiano and basil and serve it up!
Save The Sauce For Later
You can freeze the sauce in a freezer-safe ziplock bag or airtight container for up to 5 months. it’s great having ready made sauce on hand for those busy nights! To reheat, simply thaw the sauce in a pot until warmed through.
Storing Leftover Pasta Pomodoro
Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4-5 days. To reheat, simply microwave until heated through.
Easy Pasta Pomodoro Recipe
Equipment
- immersion blender or food processor
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil 80 ml
- 2 pounds fresh plum tomatoes, peeled. or 2 14oz cans of whole San Marzano tomatoes 2 x 400 g cans
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
- 2 small sprigs of basil
- 1 tsp salt ~ 5 g
- 1 lb spaghetti, fettucine or another long pasta 450 g
- grated Parmigiano Reggiano, optional 30 – 50 g per serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Add the whole peeled garlic cloves and fry them gently for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and the olive oil is infused. Remove the garlic and set aside. Or, if you want an extra garlicky sauce, leave it in.
- Crush the tomatoes with your hands until broken up and add them and their juices to the pan. Stir in the salt and basil sprigs.
- Cover the pan and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 20 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a generous handful of salt. Add in the pasta and cook until 2-3 minutes before al dente. Reserve about a cup of the pasta water, then drain and set aside.
- Remove the basil sprigs from the sauce. Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce until smooth but still has some chunks of tomato in it.
- Add in the pasta and half of the pasta water and toss. Turn the heat up to medium and simmer the pasta and sauce together for another 2–3 minutes until the pasta is cooked all the way through. If the pasta looks to dry, add a little more pasta water to thin it out.
- Taste the pasta and season with more salt if desired. Serve hot with grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and fresh chopped basil.
Pasta Pomodoro
Equipment
- immersion blender or food processor
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil 80 ml
- 2 pounds fresh plum tomatoes, peeled. or 2 14oz cans of whole San Marzano tomatoes 2 x 400 g cans
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
- 2 small sprigs of basil
- 1 tsp salt ~ 5 g
- 1 lb spaghetti, fettucine or another long pasta 450 g
- grated Parmigiano Reggiano, optional 30 – 50 g per serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Add the whole peeled garlic cloves and fry them gently for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and the olive oil is infused. Remove the garlic and set aside. Or, if you want an extra garlicky sauce, leave it in.
- Crush the tomatoes with your hands until broken up and add them and their juices to the pan. Stir in the salt and basil sprigs.
- Cover the pan and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 20 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a generous handful of salt. Add in the pasta and cook until 2-3 minutes before al dente. Reserve about a cup of the pasta water, then drain and set aside.
- Remove the basil sprigs from the sauce. Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce until smooth but still has some chunks of tomato in it.
- Add in the pasta and half of the pasta water and toss. Turn the heat up to medium and simmer the pasta and sauce together for another 2–3 minutes until the pasta is cooked all the way through. If the pasta looks to dry, add a little more pasta water to thin it out.
- Taste the pasta and season with more salt if desired. Serve hot with grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and fresh chopped basil.