Simple Pasta al Pomodoro
Spaghetti tossed in a glossy sauce of tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and fresh basil — the simplest Italian classic, done properly.
Pasta al pomodoro is the dish Italians make when they want something comforting and quick. It has only a handful of ingredients, which is exactly why technique matters: the tomatoes should cook down into a sweet, concentrated sauce, and the pasta should finish cooking in the pan with a splash of its starchy water so the sauce clings to every strand.
In summer, use very ripe fresh tomatoes. The rest of the year, good canned whole peeled tomatoes give a better result than pale supermarket ones.
Simple Pasta al Pomodoro
- Prep Time
- 10 min
- Cook Time
- 25 min
- Total Time
- 35 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 520 kcal*
- Difficulty
- Easy
Ingredients
Instructions
Prepare the tomatoes
Crush the canned tomatoes with your hands or a potato masher. (For fresh tomatoes, score a cross in the base, blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds, peel, then chop.)
Start the sauce
Warm the olive oil in a large, wide frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and chili and cook gently for 1–2 minutes until fragrant and barely golden.
Simmer
Add the tomatoes and salt, turn up the heat and bring to a lively simmer. Cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and glossy. Tear in half the basil.
Cook the pasta
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in plenty of well-salted boiling water for 2 minutes less than the packet time. Save a mug of the pasta water before draining.
Finish in the pan
Add the drained pasta to the sauce with a splash of pasta water and the butter, if using. Toss over high heat for 1–2 minutes until the sauce coats the pasta. Add more pasta water if it looks dry.
Serve
Serve immediately with the remaining basil and grated Parmigiano.
Tips & Tricks
- Salt the pasta water well — it should taste pleasantly salty. It's the only chance to season the pasta itself.
- Taste the sauce before adding the pasta. If it's sharp, a small pinch of sugar or the butter will round it out.
Substitutions
- Pasta: Any shape works; penne and rigatoni are good choices.
- Vegan: Leave out the butter and cheese; finish with an extra drizzle of olive oil.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate leftover sauce for up to 5 days or freeze for 3 months. Cooked pasta is best eaten straight away.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with a crisp green salad, or alongside Easy Mediterranean Chicken.
Nutrition Information
Per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Carbohydrates
- 80 g
- Protein
- 15 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Saturated fat
- 4 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 9 g
- Sodium
- 540 mg
* Nutrition values are estimates calculated from the ingredient list and will vary with brands and portion sizes. See our disclaimer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I add sugar to tomato sauce?
Only if your tomatoes are very acidic. Good ripe or canned tomatoes that are cooked down properly are sweet enough on their own.
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