Italian · Lunch · Dinner
Pasta al Pomodoro
Wholewheat spaghetti tossed in a bright, silky sauce of fresh ripe tomatoes, garlic and a whisper of olive oil, finished with torn basil. A simple Italian classic that tastes of summer.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 69% · Fat 18% · Protein 13%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 4 litres4,000 gWater (for blanching and pasta)
- 1 tsp6 gSalt (for pasta water)
- about 8 medium800 gRipe tomatoes
- 320 g dryWholewheat spaghetti
- 1 1/2 tbsp20 gExtra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves, thinly sliced6 gGarlic
- 1/2 tspRed chilli flakes (optional)
- 1/4 tspSalt (for sauce)
- 1/2 tsp, freshly groundBlack pepper
- 1 large handful15 gFresh basil
Steps
- 1
Bring the water to a boil in a large pot and add the salt for the pasta water.
- 2
Cut a small cross in the base of each tomato.
- 3
Lower the tomatoes into the boiling water for 30-60 seconds, until the skins start to curl.
- 4
Lift the tomatoes out with a slotted spoon into a bowl of cold water; keep the pot boiling.
- 5
Peel the tomatoes, remove the cores and roughly chop the flesh, keeping the juices.
- 6
Warm the olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium-low heat.
- 7
Add the garlic and chilli flakes, if using, and cook gently for 1-2 minutes until fragrant but not browned.
- 8
Add the chopped tomatoes and their juices, the salt for the sauce and the black pepper.
- 9
Simmer the sauce for 15-20 minutes, stirring now and then and pressing the tomatoes with a spoon, until thick and glossy.
- 10
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in the boiling water for about 10-12 minutes, or until al dente.
- 11
Scoop out a mugful of the pasta cooking water, then drain the spaghetti.
- 12
Add the spaghetti to the sauce and toss over the heat for 1-2 minutes, adding splashes of the reserved pasta water until the sauce coats the pasta.
- 13
Taste and add a pinch more pepper if needed; the salted pasta water seasons the dish.
- 14
Tear in most of the basil and toss again.
- 15
Serve topped with the remaining basil leaves.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- Use regular durum wheat spaghetti or another shape like rigatoni or penne if you can't find wholewheat spaghetti.
- For a gluten-free version, use a pasta labelled gluten-free, such as one made from rice, corn or chickpeas; the other ingredients in the sauce are naturally gluten-free.
- When fresh tomatoes aren't in season, swap them for two 400 g cans of whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand, and skip the blanching steps.
- Leave out the chilli flakes for a milder sauce that suits children.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating until steaming hot with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. The dish is best eaten fresh, and the dressed pasta doesn't freeze well, though the sauce on its own can be frozen.
Make ahead
Make the tomato sauce up to 3 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge, or freeze it, then reheat it until steaming while the pasta cooks. Add the basil just before serving.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: Gluten
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (1,292 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 366 kcal | 28 kcal |
| Protein | 13.1 g | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 67.3 g | 5.2 g |
| of which sugars | 7.5 g | 0.6 g |
| Fiber | 9.9 g | 0.8 g |
| Fat | 7.8 g | 0.6 g |
| of which saturated | 1.1 g | 0.1 g |
| Sodium | 783 mg | 61 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
