Pasta al Pomodoro
A classic Italian pasta dish made with fresh tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and basil, known for its simplicity and freshness.
Nutrition per serving
Ingredients
Grain(1)
- pasta- 320 gspaghetti or penne, dry
Fruit(1)
- tomatoes- 500 gfresh, ripe, roughly chopped
Oil(1)
- olive oil- 4 tbspextra virgin, plus more for drizzling
Vegetable(1)
- garlic- 2 clovesfinely minced
Herb(1)
- basil- 15 gfresh, roughly chopped
Condiment(1)
- salt- 2 tspfor pasta water and sauce, to taste
Spice(1)
- black pepper- 0.5 tspfreshly ground, to taste
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Unlock AI featuresInstructions
Cook the pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of pasta water.
Don't overcook the pasta! Al dente means 'to the tooth,' so it should still have a slight bite.
Prepare the tomato sauce
While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
Burnt garlic will make the sauce bitter.
Add tomatoes and simmer
Add the chopped fresh tomatoes to the skillet. Season with salt and black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly.
If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little of the reserved pasta water to thin it out.
Combine pasta and sauce
Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the tomato sauce. Toss to coat. Add the chopped fresh basil and toss again.
Reserve some basil for garnish.
Serve
Serve immediately, garnished with fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired. This recipe serves 4.
Serve with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
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