Italy · Pasta & noodles
Spaghetti al pomodoro.
Tomato, olive oil, garlic and basil. The simplest pasta in Italy, and the one that shows if a cook is good.
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The story of tomato sauce.
Tomatoes came to Europe from the Americas in the 1500s, but for a long time Italians were suspicious of them. One of the first printed recipes for a tomato sauce appeared in Naples in 1692.
In the 1800s, the streets of Naples were full of vendors selling spaghetti with tomato, eaten by hand. From there it traveled the world with Italian emigrants, becoming the base of countless dishes.
Origin: Campania, Italy
Where to find the ingredients in the US.
- Tomatoes: good canned whole peeled tomatoes, ideally San Marzano DOP, are better than fresh ones out of season.
- Spaghetti: bronze-cut pasta has a rough surface that holds the sauce.
- Basil: add it at the end, torn by hand.
Three steps. That’s it.
What each stage should look like.
Step 1
Infuse the oil.
Warm olive oil with lightly crushed garlic cloves until fragrant.
Step 2
Simmer the tomatoes.
Crush the tomatoes by hand and simmer for 20–25 minutes.
Step 3
Finish together.
Toss the spaghetti in the sauce with basil and a little pasta water.
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Recipe
Spaghetti al pomodoro.
Prep 5 min · Cook 30 min · Total 35 min
Ingredients
- spaghetti
- canned whole peeled tomatoes
- extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to finish
- garlic, lightly crushed
- fresh basil
- salt
Instructions
- Pour the tomatoes into a bowl and crush them with your hands.
- Warm the olive oil with the garlic in a wide pan over medium-low heat for 2–3 minutes, until the garlic is lightly golden.
- Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Simmer for 20–25 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick and glossy. Remove the garlic.
- Cook the spaghetti until 1 minute short of al dente. Reserve ½ cup (120 ml) of cooking water.
- Add the spaghetti to the sauce with a splash of water and toss over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Tear in the basil, add a drizzle of raw olive oil and serve.
Sources consulted: Gambero Rosso. Our own text, with US and metric measurements.
What you’ll need.
Wide sauté pan.
A wide pan reduces the sauce faster and better.
Bronze-cut spaghetti.
Their rough surface holds the sauce.
Pasta pot with insert.
Makes draining easier.
