Pasta Al Pomodoro

A delicious, easy and quick cure for hunger, Pasta al Pomodoro is an Italian quintessential meal, perfect for a delicious savory dinner.

Although it sounds like a fancy, complicated dish, pasta al Pomodoro is the most basic tomato sauce pasta in the Italian cuisine. It is made with a simple tomato, onion and garlic base infused with the sharp high flavors of basil and parmesan, which will leave you wanting more.

Learn how to make this mouthwatering Italian classic with this easy recipe.

Health Benefits

Pasta al Pomodoro is a carbohydrate rich meal, which is incredibly beneficial for the skeleto-muscular system and encourages tissue growth and strengthening. Tomatoes provide the dish a substantial amount of iron and dietary fiber that is beneficial for the digestive system.

Calories per serving: 560 Kcal

Fat per serving: 21.5 g

Carbohydrates per serving: 76.2 g

Protein per serving: 14.1 g

Ingredients

packet of spaghetti, bow-tie pasta or other shape of your choice: 1 (12 ounce)

can of peeled whole tomatoes: • 1 (28 ounce)

medium onion (finely chopped): 1

cloves of garlic (finely chopped or minced): 4-5

large sprigs Basil: 3

cup extra virgin olive oil: 1/4

tbsp unsalted butter (cubed): 2

tsp red chili flakes: 1

kosher salt to taste

cup parmesan or pecorino (grated): 1/4

How To Make Pasta Al Pomodoro

Pomodoro Sauce

1. Add tomatoes to a food processor, pulse into a thick purée and keep aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low flame. Add chopped onions and cook for 10-12 minutes or until soft and translucent. Stir frequently to avoid the onions from caramelizing.
3. Add minced garlic to the onion and fry for 3 minutes, or until garlic is fragrant and its raw smell is gone.
4. Add red chili flakes to the skillet and cook for 1 more minute while stirring continuously.
5. Turn the heat up to a medium; add puréed tomatoes to the skillet and season with salt. Let the sauce cook for 20-25 minutes or until it slightly thickens and the tomatoes are cooked.
6. Remove from heat and stir in the basils sprigs.

Pasta/Spaghetti

1. While the sauce is cooking, fill a large pot with water, season with salt and bring it up to boil on medium-high heat.
2. Add the spaghetti or pasta and cook until almost al dente i.e. 2 minutes before completely al dente.
3. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the starchy water.

Pasta Al Pomodoro

1. Remove the basil from the Pomodoro sauce and set the skillet on a medium flame.
2. Add the starchy water from the pasta into the sauce and bring to a boil.
3. Add the pasta to the sauce and cook for 2 minutes, stirring until pasta is al dente and coated with sauce. Remove from heat.
4. Add butter and parmesan until everything is mixed and serve hot.

Trivia

• Tomato sauce and spaghetti, which are now considered the basics of Italian cuisine, did not originate in Italy. The sauce became a part of Italian cuisine after Spain introduced tomatoes to Europe, and spaghetti was brought over by the Chinese.