Pasta al Pomodoro

I made this pasta al pomodoro recently when I had a huge craving for spaghetti. I didn’t want anything fancy so I kept it simple by using really good canned tomatoes, some onion, and lots of garlic simmered together for a while before tossed with some al dente spaghetti, a little butter, some freshly grated parmesan cheese, and fresh basil. Easy, so delicious and always a hit in my house. Sometimes simple food is the best food!

How to Make Pasta al Pomodoro

Heat the olive oil in a small Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the blended can of tomatoes to the Dutch oven. Simmer for about 20-30 minutes, or when the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat. Taste and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste along with a pinch of sugar if it needs it. Bury the whole sprigs of basil in the sauce and set aside to allow the flavors to mingle.

Cook the spaghetti al dente in salted boiling water per package instructions. Drain the spaghetti, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Discard the basil sprigs and return the Dutch oven to the stove over medium-high heat. Add the drained pasta along with reserved pasta water, if needed, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add butter and parmesan cheese; toss until cheese melts.

Pour into the serving bowl and top with fresh basil. Serve immediately with additional fresh parmesan on the side.

Pasta al Pomodoro

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Course: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 6

Author: Pam - For the Love of Cooking

Equipment

• Small Dutch Oven
• Immersion Blender
• Large pot

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3 large cloves of garlic, minced
• ¼-½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• 1 (28 oz) can San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes, puréed
  with an immersion blender
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Pinch of sugar, if needed
• 3 large fresh basil sprigs
• 12 oz spaghetti, cooked in salted water, per instructions
• 2½ tbsp butter
• ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• Fresh basil, for serving

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a small Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.
• Add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
• Add the blended can of tomatoes to the Dutch oven. Simmer for about 20-30 minutes, or when the sauce has thickened.
• Remove from the heat. Taste and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste along with a pinch of sugar if it needs it.
• Bury the whole sprigs of basil in the sauce and set aside to allow the flavors to mingle. 
• Cook the spaghetti al dente in a large pot of salted boiling water per package instructions. Drain the spaghetti, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. 
• Discard the basil sprigs and return the Dutch oven to the stove over medium-high heat.
• Add the drained pasta along with reserved pasta water, if needed, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and add butter and parmesan cheese; toss until cheese melts. 
• Pour into the serving bowl and top with fresh basil. Serve immediately with additional fresh parmesan on the side. 

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