Pasta Pomodoro

Name: Pasta pomodoro
Prep time: 1 min
Cook time: 11 min
Total time: 12 min
Ingredients: 300 g pasta (spaghetti, bucatini, penne); 400 g whole peeled canned tomatoes; 200 g plum tomatoes; 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 clove garlic; ⅓ teaspoon chili flakes; 15 fresh basil leaves; 3 liters water (to cook the pasta); 2 tbsp coarse sea salt (to salt the pasta water)

Cambia lingua / Switch language: Italiano

Pasta pomodoro is an easy and delicious recipe that is perfect for a quick lunch or dinner. It can be made in just over 10 minutes, with very simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. Follow our recipe to make a pasta pomodoro just like in Italy, creamy, tasty and full of flavour.

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A quick history of pasta al pomodoro
Ingredients and substitutions
How to make pasta pomodoro
Tips
Frequently asked questions
Storage
Variations
Recipe
Related recipes

A quick history of pasta al pomodoro

"Pomodoro" in Italian literally means tomato. So when we say pasta al pomodoro in Italy, we mean pasta with tomato. In the US, the term pomodoro is generally used for a sauce made with tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and basil.

But essentially, pasta pomodoro in Italy and in the US are the same thing. A pasta dish, generally spaghetti, in tomato sauce.

The first recipe of pasta al pomodoro was published by Ippolito Cavalcanti, a chef from Naples, in 1837. The recipe was published in Napolitan dialect. Here's the english translation. I tried to be as accurate as possible:

"Spaghetti al pomodoro: when it is the season, you will take 2.7 kilos of tomatoes, cook them and mash them; then take 1 ounce of lard, or 2 deciliters of oil, fry it with a head of garlic and put it in the sauce. Boil 1.8 kilos of spaghetti, drain them when they are al dente and throw them into the sauce; fill them with pepper, add salt and you'll see what you eat."

Isn't this fascinating? This is the text of a recipe from 1837, and the recipe is so modern. Pasta pomodoro was so loved at the time, that in a few years (there was no social media back then, so news travelled slow) it became a national dish.

Like Ippolito, I don't add parmesan cheese or butter to the recipe. Just good old olive oil. I also add a few basil leave. Here's my recipe.

Ingredients and substitutions

Spaghetti: I like to use "bronze cut" spaghetti for this recipe. You can use any type of spaghetti. You can find bronze cut pasta next to regular pasta at the grocery store. I like it better because it has a rugged surface that helps the sauce stick better to the pasta. Bucatini al pomodoro are also really good.

Whole peeled canned tomatoes: you can replace whole peeled canned tomatoes with tomato passata, or any other type of canned tomatoes. I like whole ones because they contain the whole part of the tomato. If it's season, you can replace canned tomatoes with fresh ripe tomatoes. But better canned, than unripe.
Plum tomatoes: I like to add some smaller tomatoes to the sauce to give some natural sweetness to the sauce. My favourite are plum tomatoes, date tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes.

Olive oil: frying tomatoes in oil is just so good. I like to use a good extra virgin olive oil.
Chili flakes: I like to add a bit of spice to the sauce. You can replace chili flakes with regular black pepper, or with fresh red hot chili peppers, finely sliced. Adjust quantity based on your taste.
Water and Salt: I boil the pasta in plenty of salted water. Also, I add a pinch of salt to the tomato sauce.
Garlic and basil: fresh garlic and fresh basil leaves are very common in this recipe.

How to make pasta pomodoro

Start by putting the water to boil. Then cut the plum tomatoes in half and set aside. In a large pan on low heat, add 3 tbsp of olive oil, crushed garlic, and the chili flakes. Let fry gently for 1 minute. Don't let the garlic burn.

Add the plum tomatoes and let cook on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until they become soft. Then add a little water if they stick to the pan.

Add the pelati in the pan and crush them with a fork. Let the tomatoes simmer on low heat while the pasta cooks, stirring occasionally. Season with two pinches of salt and add around 10 basil leaves in it. Add some pasta water when the sauce gets too thick.

When the water boils, salt it, then cook the pasta in it for 4 minutes less than indicated on the cooking package. If the package says 12 minutes, then cook it for 8 minutes only. While the pasta cooks, take care of the tomato sauce, stirring and adding water as it dries up.

When the pasta is ready, take it out of the water and put it into the pan with the sauce. Do not throw away the pasta water, we need it to finish cooking the pasta.

Finish cooking the pasta in the pan with the tomato sauce, adding one or two ladles of pasta water as the pasta cooks. Stir gently, and cook until the pasta is al dente.

Turn off the heat, and if you like, add a couple of extra spoons of extra virgin olive oil. Give it a final stir and serve with some fresh basil leaves on top.

Tips

Use a 2:1 tomatoes to pasta ratio for best balance between pasta and tomato sauce. That is, if you want to cook 200 grams (7 oz) of pasta, then you need 400 grams (14 oz) of tomatoes in total.
Use two different types of tomatoes - small fresh ones, and whole canned peeled tomatoes - to make the sauce richer and the balance sweetness and acidity of the dish.
Undercook the pasta by 4 minutes before draining it because we finish cooking it in the pan with the tomato sauce. This will make the sauce much creamier as the pasta releases some of its starch into the sauce.
Don't throw away the pasta water as we use it to finish cooking the pasta al pomodoro in the sauce. Thanks to its high starch content, pasta cooking water is perfect to add to our sauce. It will make it creamier.
Use bronze cut pasta if you can. Bronze cut pasta is best for these spaghetti al pomodoro, as opposed to steel cut pasta, because it has rugged porous surface that will 1) release more starch making our final dish creamier, 2) allow the sauce to stick better thanks to its rugged surface.

Frequently asked questions

What is pomodoro sauce made of?

Pomodoro sauce is a tomato-based sauce (pomodoro in Italian means tomato). The tomatoes can either be fresh or canned. They are cooked with olive oil, garlic, basil, salt and chili pepper.

Does spaghetti pomodoro have meat?

No, the original spaghetti pomodoro recipe from Italy doesn't have meat.

What is the difference between pomodoro sauce and marinara sauce?

Pomodoro and marinara sauce are both tomato-based sauces made with olive oil, garlic, and occasionally some chili pepper. Pomodoro sauce is generally seasoned with basil, while marinara sauce with oregano and parsley.

The biggest difference, at least in Italy, is that pomodoro sauce is generally used for pasta, while marinara sauce is used for pizza, calzone, on bread, and with meat, but not on pasta.

Can I use a different pasta type?

Yes, you can use bucatini to make bucatini pomodoro or any other type of pasta. Pomodoro sauce is great with spaghetti, but also with any other pasta type.

Storage

Pasta al Pomodoro is best eaten on the spot. If you have some leftovers, store it in a air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours.

To reheat it, add it to a small pot with a dash of tap water and warm it up on medium-low heat. Add some fresh basil. Do not reheat more than once as this will destroy the texture of the spaghetti and its flavor.

Variations

The most popular variation of pasta pomodoro is bucatini pomodoro, or penne arrabbiata. Bucatini are a thicker type of spaghetti with a whole that runs through the middle. They are delicious in a rich pomodoro sauce.

Penne are also good in a tomato sauce, but I'd do them in arrabbiata sauce rather than pomodoro sauce. Here's our recipe for penne arrabbiata. They are hot and delicious!

Recipe

Pasta pomodoro

Author: Nico

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Prep Time 1 min

Cook Time 11 mins

Total Time 12 mins

Course First Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings people

Calories 574 kcal

Ingredients

300 g (10.6 oz) pasta spaghetti, bucatini, penne
400 g (14.5 oz) whole peeled canned tomatoes
200 g (7 oz) plum tomatoes
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
⅓ teaspoon chili flakes
15 fresh basil leaves
3 liters (¾ gal) water to cook the pasta
2 tbsp coarse sea salt to salt the pasta water

Instructions

Start by putting the water to boil. Then cut the plum tomatoes in half and set aside. In a large pan on low heat, add 3 tbsp of olive oil, crushed garlic, and the chili flakes. Let fry gently for 1 minute. Don't let the garlic burn.
Add the plum tomatoes and let cook on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until they become soft. Add a little water if they stick to the pan.
Add the pelati in the pan and crush them with a fork. Let the tomatoes simmer on low heat while the pasta cooks, stirring occasionally. Season with two pinches of salt and add around 10 basil leaves in it. Add some pasta water when the sauce gets too thick.
When the water boils, salt it, then cook the pasta in it for 4 minutes less than indicated on the cooking package. If the package says 12 minutes, then cook it for 8 minutes only. While the pasta cooks, take care of the tomato sauce, stirring and adding water as it dries up.
When the pasta is ready, take it out of the water and put it into the pan with the sauce. Do not throw away the pasta water, we need it to finish cooking the pasta.
Finish cooking the pasta in the pan with the tomato sauce, adding one or two ladles of pasta water as the pasta cooks. Stir gently, and cook until the pasta is al dente.
Turn off the heat, and if you like, add a couple of extra spoons of extra virgin olive oil. Give it a final stir and serve with some fresh basil leaves on top.