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Spaghetti al pomodoro

Tomato, basil, olive oil. Three ideas, one perfect plate.

πŸ“ Naples, Campania⏱ 30 minEasyServes 2
Spaghetti al pomodoro

Origin story

Tomatoes reached Italy from the Americas in the 1500s. For a long time people only grew them as curiosities. By the late 1700s Neapolitans were eating them with pasta. The first printed tomato sauce recipes appear in Naples in the early 1800s, including a version by Ippolito Cavalcanti in 1837.

The sun and volcanic soil near Vesuvius make sweet, low-acid tomatoes. Cooks there found that a short simmer with olive oil and basil was enough. The result is now the most loved pasta in the world. It looks easy, but the quality of the tomatoes decides everything.

Myths, busted

You need a long simmer for good sauce.
Not with good tomatoes. 15-20 minutes keeps the flavour fresh. Long cooking can turn it dull and heavy.
Add sugar to fix acidic tomatoes.
Better to use sweeter tomatoes such as San Marzano. A little grated carrot or a pinch of salt works if needed.

The recipe

Servings:2

Ingredients

  • 200 g spaghetti
  • 400 g canned San Marzano tomatoes (or ripe fresh ones)
  • 2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • A few basil leaves
  • Salt
  1. Warm the oil and garlic in a pan until fragrant, then take the garlic out.
  2. Crush the tomatoes by hand into the pan, salt them and simmer for 15–20 minutes until thick.
  3. Boil the spaghetti in well-salted water.
  4. Move the pasta, a minute before al dente, into the sauce with a splash of pasta water and toss.
  5. Tear in the basil, finish with fresh olive oil and serve.

Tip: add the basil at the very end. Cooked basil loses its perfume.

Regional variations

Spaghetti al basilico
The same sauce, with lots of fresh basil torn in at the very end.
Pomodorini freschi
Uses fresh cherry tomatoes cooked briefly. The sauce is lighter and brighter.
With soffritto
Starts with finely diced onion, sometimes carrot and celery, for a deeper, sweeter sauce.

Common mistakes

βœ— Using poor tomatoes
Choose good canned whole tomatoes, like San Marzano DOP, if fresh ones are not ripe.
βœ— Burning the garlic
Cook it gently in cool oil and take it out when pale gold. Bitter garlic spoils the sauce.
βœ— Adding basil too early
Tear it in at the end, off the heat. Heat kills its aroma.
βœ— Not finishing in the pan
Toss the spaghetti in the sauce with a splash of pasta water for 1 minute so it clings.

What to drink with it

🍷 Wine
Chianti Classico
Its bright acidity and cherry notes match the tomato's tang.
πŸ₯€ Alcohol-free
Chinotto
This bittersweet Italian soda balances the sweetness of the sauce.

Shopping list Β· Spaghetti al pomodoro for 2

Pasta & pantry

  • 200 g spaghetti
  • 400 g canned whole peeled tomatoes (San Marzano)
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt

Produce

  • 1-2 garlic cloves
  • 1 small handful fresh basil

Deli & cheese

  • 30 g Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino (optional)

Vegetarian

Already vegetarian. Use a vegetarian hard cheese in place of Parmigiano if you avoid animal rennet.

Gluten-free

The sauce is naturally gluten-free. Only the pasta needs a swap.

Spaghetti β†’ gluten-free spaghetti
Corn or rice blends hold up well. Cook 1 minute less than the pack says.

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Know your ingredients

San Marzano tomatoesSpaghettiExtra-virgin olive oilGarlicBasil