Introduction
Pasta al pomodoro is pasta in a simple tomato sauce with garlic, olive oil and basil. It is the base of Italian home cooking: once you can make this sauce, you can make dozens of others from it. Children love it and it costs almost nothing.
Tomatoes came to Europe from the Americas in the 16th century, but Italians only started cooking pasta with tomato sauce in the late 18th and 19th centuries, first around Naples. Good canned tomatoes, whole Italian plum tomatoes in particular, often give a better sauce than fresh ones out of season. The Parmesan on top is optional; without it, the dish is vegan.
Ingredients
- 400 g pasta (spaghetti, penne or rigatoni)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
- 2 cans of whole peeled tomatoes (2 × 400 g)
- a bunch of basil
- salt
- grated Parmesan, to serve (optional)
Tools
- A large pot
- A saucepan or deep frying pan
- A colander
Preparation
- Heat the oil and garlic in the saucepan over a medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the garlic sizzles and turns pale gold.
- Add the tomatoes and crush them with a wooden spoon. Add a pinch of salt and a few basil leaves.
- Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce is thick and the oil shines on its surface. Remove the garlic.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water until al dente. Keep a cup of the water and drain.
- Add the pasta to the sauce with a splash of the cooking water and toss for one minute over the heat.
- Serve with torn basil and Parmesan if you like.