Spaghetti al Pomodoro
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
5 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Servings
4
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
Spaghetti al Pomodoro
Description
This Spaghetti al Pomodoro recipe starts with halving ripe cherry tomatoes and cooking them gently in extra virgin olive oil with crushed garlic, releasing their juices and softening into a fresh sauce. Basil, including its stalks, is torn and stirred in to infuse herbal notes. The sauce is briefly blended to combine textures without over-pureeing, maintaining some tomato body.
The spaghetti is cooked in well-salted boiling water until al dente. Once cooked, it can be tossed with the pomodoro sauce to coat the strands with a vibrant, lightly seasoned tomato base. Freshly cracked black pepper and additional olive oil can be added to enhance flavor. Optionally, Pecorino Romano cheese offers a salty, tangy contrast that complements the mild sweetness of the tomatoes.
Spaghetti al Pomodoro exemplifies Italian simplicity, relying on fresh ingredients and straightforward technique. It is suited for a quick, satisfying meal when fresh tomatoes are in season or canned peeled tomatoes can be used as an alternative.
Ingredients
- 300 grams spaghetti 10.5oz, thick squared
- 400 grams cherry tomatoes 14oz. Or 1 can of whole peeled tomatoes, or 1 can of whole peeled tomatoes
- basil fresh, bunch
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil EVOO + extra for topping
- salt
- black pepper
- 1 tbsp rock salt for pasta water
- Pecorino Romano cheese optional
Instructions
- You can’t make tomato sauce without tomatoes! Start your spaghetti al pomodoro by slicing the cherry tomatoes in half after removing the vine.
- Pour the EVOO in a large cooking pan before adding crushed garlic. Don’t miss out on extra flavor by forgetting to scrape the garlic press.
- Next, cut your cherry tomatoes in half and add them into the pan with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
- Cook the tomatoes on medium-low heat until you see the juices come out, stirring continuously.
- Break the basil (stalk included!) into pieces, add it to the pan, and stir to infuse the flavor.
- The longer you cook the tomatoes, the more juice you'll see. After ten or so minutes, remove the basil pieces from the pan and add the mixture to a blender.
- Pulse the sauce for about three seconds – it's essential to blend gently and quickly.
- Add rock salt into a large pot with 5L of boiling water before twisting and dropping the pasta in. You might need to lightly push the pasta into the water with a spoon.
- For al dente pasta, cook for 13 minutes or according to exact package directions – don’t throw it against the wall or on your ceiling!
- While the pasta is cooking, add the blended sauce back into the pan on low heat.
- Break small pieces of fresh basil leaves into the sauce for an even stronger basil taste, stirring occasionally.
- Make sure to stir, stir, stir! At the point the pasta is almost cooked, collect a mug full of pasta cooking water.
- Next add the pasta using tongs into the saucepan – it's okay if some water goes in as well. Mix it through ensuring the sauce coats the pasta evenly.
- Use your extra pasta water and add a small amount into the pan. Toss the spaghetti al pomodoro pasta – if you can!
- The finishing touch is a drizzle of EVOO and fresh basil. If you’re a cheese lover – add in some Pecorino Romano and give a final toss with the pasta.
- E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’sPlate….Enjoy!
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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