Pasta al Pomodoro
Pasta with tomato & basil
Ingredients
- 200 g Spaghetti
- 400 ml Tomato passata
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 3 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 8 Basil (optional)
Method
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Slice the garlic thin.
- Warm the olive oil with the garlic over medium heat until pale gold, then add the passata.
- Simmer the sauce until slightly thickened, about 12 minutes, tearing in half the basil.
- Cook the spaghetti until 1 minute shy of al dente, the firm-bite stage.
- Reserve a mugful of pasta water, then drain.
- Toss the pasta with the sauce off heat, loosening with pasta water until glossy, then finish with the rest of the basil.
- Serve at once.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Pasta al Pomodoro
Pasta al pomodoro is the plainest and most beloved of Italian tomato pastas, the dish a household turns to when there is nothing in particular to cook and yet dinner still needs to be good. It belongs to no single region so much as to the whole peninsula, a template built on tomato, garlic, basil, and good olive oil rather than any long list of ingredients. What defines it is restraint: the sauce is barely more than passata coaxed to a gentle thickness, so the tomato itself has to carry the plate. Warming the garlic slowly in oil until it turns pale gold, rather than browning it, keeps the base sweet and mellow instead of sharp.
On the fork it is bright and clean, the tomato just concentrated enough to cling, with basil torn in at two stages so you get both the cooked, rounded aroma and a fresh green lift at the end. The trick that lifts this version above a jarred sauce is finishing off the heat with a splash of reserved pasta water, which emulsifies the oil and starch into a glossy coating that grips each strand of spaghetti. It comes together in about twenty-five minutes, which is exactly why it earns its place as a weeknight standby. Eat it the moment it's tossed, ideally with a little extra olive oil and grated cheese at the table if you're not keeping it vegan.
Pasta al Pomodoro: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Pasta al Pomodoro?
A serving has about 631 calories — 18.4g protein, 86.7g carbs, 23.8g fat, 6.9g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Pasta al Pomodoro gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Spaghetti. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
How long does Pasta al Pomodoro take to make?
About 21 minutes start to finish, but only around 9 of those are hands-on — the rest is cooking time. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Pasta al Pomodoro?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out basil — it's optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Pasta al Pomodoro make?
This recipe makes 2 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.