Ingredients

• Spaghetti noodles (0.88 lb | 400 grams) – a high-quality package of dry spaghetti noodles or really any other shape of pasta works great with this tomato sauce.
• Extra virgin olive oil (2 tbsp | 30 grams) – a medium quality extra virgin olive oil is sufficient, as it will be cooked you don’t need to use your most expensive one. Although Italians would not dream of using it, some American recipes for pasta pomodoro use butter instead of olive oil. If you like a creamy, buttery flavor, you can add an additional pat of butter to the sauce or completely substitute the olive oil with butter.
• Tomatoes (1.1 lbs | 500 grams) – you can either choose canned tomatoes (San Marzano tomatoes are the best) or tomato puree to start with. Another option is starting with fresh whole Roma tomatoes or cherry tomatoes/grape tomatoes if you like a tarter taste. When using a large variety of fresh tomatoes you will need to quickly blanch the ripe tomatoes and remove the skin and seeds before chopping and cooking into a delicious tomato sauce. With grape and cherry tomatoes you usually leave both skins and seeds.
• Garlic (1 clove) – we like to add in one or two pieces so that the garlic can easily be removed which makes this recipe even more kid friendly, however some people add crushed garlic and leave it in the sauce. An alternative to garlic is 2 tablespoons of finely chopped onion added at the beginning.
• Salt (as needed) – you will need fine salt for the pasta sauce and coarse salt for the pasta cooking water.
• Pepper (optional) – add a little dash of pepper if you like the taste.
• Basil (as desired) – some basil leaves straight from a plant on your windowsill or from the garden will fill your kitchen with an incredible aroma. If you don’t have fresh basil, consider adding a pinch of dried oregano.
• Cheese (as desired) – we love a sprinkling of grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Parmesan cheese on top of our pasta dish.

Making pasta pomodoro step by step

Start the pomodoro sauce: Put the olive oil in a medium or large skillet over medium heat and then add the garlic clove that has been peeled and chopped in half with the little green part in the middle removed (photo 1). After cooking for two minutes, add the tomato puree or whole peeled tomatoes from the can (photo 2).

Season and cook the sauce: Season lightly with a dash of salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes when cooking tomato puree or about an hour with whole tomatoes, both over low heat. Remove the garlic clove and throw away. If you used whole tomatoes, either put them through a vegetable mill or use an immersion blender to make it smooth (photo 4).

Cook the pasta: Put a large pot of water on to boil for the spaghetti when the sauce is almost ready. Add salt to the boiling water, add the pasta, and cook following the package instructions for al dente (photo 5). Drain the spaghetti keeping a small cup of pasta water aside (photo 6).

Coat the pasta with sauce: Add the drained pasta directly to the sauce (photo 7) and stir until the sauce coats the pasta (photo 8). If the sauce is too thick, you can add a little pasta water when stirring.

Finishing touches and serve: Place in a large serving dish, garnish with fresh basil and serve. Each person can add finely grated Parmesan cheese or Parmigiano Reggiano as desired directly onto their own pasta.