Italian pasta with tomato sauce (Printable version)
Tender pasta in a rich tomato sauce with aromatic herbs, ready in 30 minutes.
# What you need:
→ Pasta
01 - 14 oz dried pasta (spaghetti, penne, or preferred shape)
→ Tomato Sauce
02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
05 - 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
06 - 1 tsp sugar
07 - 1 tsp dried oregano
08 - 1 tsp dried basil
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
10 - 1 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
11 - Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
# How To:
01 - Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
02 - While the pasta cooks, warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for about 3 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Pour in the crushed tomatoes, sugar, dried oregano, and dried basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine and let the sauce simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly.
04 - Add the drained pasta directly to the skillet with the tomato sauce. Toss well to coat every strand or piece, adding small splashes of the reserved pasta water as needed to adjust the sauce consistency.
05 - Transfer to warm plates or a serving dish. Finish with a generous sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese and scatter fresh basil leaves over the top. Serve immediately while hot.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce comes together from pantry staples in roughly the same time it takes to boil the pasta, so dinner feels effortless without tasting like it.
- A pinch of sugar and a generous hand with dried herbs transform canned tomatoes into something that tastes like it simmered all afternoon.
02 -
- Reserve half a cup of pasta water before you drain because once that starchy liquid goes down the sink there is no getting it back and your sauce will thank you later.
- Do not let the garlic turn brown in the pan because burnt garlic turns bitter and will ruin the entire pot of sauce in seconds.
03 -
- Start your sauce in the skillet before the pasta water even boils because giving the tomatoes those extra few minutes of simmering deepens the flavor more than any spice can.
- Toss the pasta in the sauce over direct heat for thirty seconds before serving because that brief contact caramelizes the edges of the noodles in a way that pure tossing cannot achieve.