Description
Savory tomato pasta brings Italian countryside charm to your dinner table with minimal ingredients and maximum flavor. Fresh herbs and ripe tomatoes create a simple yet irresistible sauce you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 8 ounces (226 grams) spaghetti or penne
- 4 ripe Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Flavor Enhancers:
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Seasonings:
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Fill a spacious pot with water, generously season with salt, and bring to a rolling boil at high heat. Cook pasta until perfectly tender yet firm, approximately 8-10 minutes.
- While pasta cooks, warm olive oil in a generously sized skillet over medium flame. Gently sauté minced garlic until aromatic and lightly golden, releasing its rich fragrance.
- Introduce fresh chopped tomatoes into the skillet, complementing with a delicate blend of salt, ground black pepper, and zesty red pepper flakes. Allow the mixture to gently simmer, stirring occasionally, transforming into a luscious, thickened sauce over 12-15 minutes.
- Carefully transfer the perfectly cooked pasta directly into the simmering tomato sauce, ensuring each strand becomes luxuriously coated. Incorporate freshly torn basil leaves, gently tossing to distribute flavors evenly.
- Remove the skillet from heat, creating a final flourish by generously sprinkling freshly grated Parmesan cheese across the vibrant pasta. Serve immediately while still piping hot, capturing the essence of rustic Italian cuisine.
Notes
- Ensure water is generously salted to enhance pasta’s flavor before cooking, creating a more delicious base.
- Select ripe, in-season tomatoes for maximum sweetness and depth in the sauce, transforming an ordinary dish into something extraordinary.
- Experiment with different pasta shapes like penne or rigatoni to add visual interest and catch more sauce in their ridges.
- Customize for dietary needs by using gluten-free pasta or replacing Parmesan with nutritional yeast for a vegan-friendly version.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 48 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg