Everyone needs an easy Spaghetti Pomodoro recipe up their sleeve. It is simple, fresh, and delicious on its own. Or you can pair it with whatever main dish you’ve got in store. It’s just a versatile dish and a handy recipe to know. Everyone, everyone, enjoys a spaghetti pomodoro.
The key to a good Pomodoro is fresh and good-quality tomato passata. Tomato Passata basically is pureed and strained tomatoes. They are usually sold in jars and come in a thicker consistency than tinned chopped tomatoes. Italy, especially in the central and southern regions, is known to produce some high-quality tomatoes, so an Italian brand is always a trustworthy one to opt for. I personally like to use Mutti Pomodoro’s Tomato Passata. It would be half the job done to get that beautifully mild and sweet flavour of the Pomodoro.
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Why You’d Love This Spaghetti Pomodoro Recipe
There’s just a little something, perhaps nostalgia, about spaghetti pomodoro. For me, it reminds me of childhood, small hands messily grabbing the tomato sauce-coated spaghetti and smearing it all over the face. It’s certainly something that evokes an endearing feeling. This recipe is easy to make. Instead of underwhelming jarred sauces, a homemade sauce brings vibrancy and brightness to the dish, and it truly makes a difference.
Looking for more pasta recipe inspo? Check these out too:
How to make Spaghetti Pomodoro
Ingredients You Need
- Spaghetti – or any other pasta shape you like
- Garlic, Onion – the aromatics
- Red Chilli Flakes – just to give a little tease to the palate
- Tomato Paste – to enhance the tomato flavour
- Tomato Passata – the tomato sauce base
- Fresh Basil – for garnish
- Salt & Black Pepper – for seasoning
- Butter, Pasta Water – to help the sauce bind to the pasta
- Parmesan Cheese – for topping
Recipe Notes
- Tomato passata is a preferred choice over tinned tomatoes for this recipe, but you may swap them if you must. Do note that tinned chopped tomatoes tend to carry more watered-down liquid, so it may require a longer cooking time in order for the chopped tomatoes to break down and thicken up into a smooth, rich sauce.
- Adding a little touch of sugar is a secret trick to make your tomato sauce pop. It helps to balance the acidity of the tomatoes while enhancing their natural sweetness, resulting in a well-rounded & vibrant flavour profile.
- Reserving pasta water is key to any pasta recipe. The purpose of reserving pasta water is to (1) loosen up the sauce, (2) help the pasta sauce to bind with the pasta, and (3) to allow the salted pasta water to lend some savoury flavour to the sauce.
- Adding butter helps to bind the sauce to the pasta and to give the sauce a silky touch.
- Basil should be added at the end of cooking as a garnish. Fresh basil is very delicate and its flavour is best when fresh. Unlike other herbs, it doesn’t work well if you let it cook in the sauce for too long. Its flavours break down easily in heat and could turn bitter. Therefore, it’s best to add it at the end of cooking for the best and maximum flavour.
Easy Spaghetti Pomodoro
Ingredients
- 250 g Spaghetti
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 4 cloves Garlic finely chopped
- ½ tsp Chilli Flakes optional
- ½ large Onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 300 g Tomato Passata
- ½ tsp Salt to taste
- ½ tsp Black Pepper to taste
- 8-10 g Fresh Basil
- ½-1 tsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Butter
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook garlic and chilli flakes for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.4 cloves Garlic, ½ tsp Chilli Flakes, 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- Add in onions and saute for 10-15 minutes until golden and softened.½ large Onion
- Season with salt & black pepper. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes until starting to deepen in colour.1 tbsp Tomato Paste, ½ tsp Salt, ½ tsp Black Pepper
- Stir tomato passata. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes until slightly thickened.300 g Tomato Passata, 8-10 g Fresh Basil
- In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to boil and season generously with salt. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve ¼-⅓ cup of Pasta Water.250 g Spaghetti
- Stir in butter and a pinch of sugar. Cook until the butter has melted into the sauce.½-1 tsp Sugar, 1 tbsp Butter
- Toss in cooked pasta, together with a splash of reserved pasta water.
- Add the fresh basil and top pasta with Parmesan Cheese. Serve immediately.8-10 g Fresh Basil
Notes
- Italian tomato varieties/brands would be a good pick for good quality tomatoes for the recipe.
- Tomato Passata is preferred for the recipe due to its smoother texture. If using tinned chopped tomatoes, you’ll have to double the simmering time in order for the chopped tomatoes to break down into a thick sauce. The flavours in tinned chopped tomatoes also tend to be less intense than that in tomato passata.
- Add fresh basil only at the end of the cooking process. Otherwise, basil has a tendency to turn bitter when being cooked for too long.
- The butter and reserved pasta water help the sauce to bind with the pasta.
