Spaghetti al Pomodoro Recipe: Simple Italian Tomato Pasta

Sharing is caring!

Spaghetti al pomodoro is the dish Italians cook when they want dinner fast and want it right. You need good tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, basil and salt. That is all. This spaghetti al pomodoro recipe makes enough for four people and takes about 35 minutes from start to finish.

The dish looks easy, and it is. But the simplest recipes leave nowhere to hide. A thin, sharp sauce or mushy pasta ruins the plate. Follow the steps below and you will get a glossy, sweet, bright sauce that clings to every strand.

What Is Spaghetti al Pomodoro?

Pomodoro is the Italian word for tomato. So spaghetti al pomodoro simply means spaghetti with tomato. It is a lighter sauce than ragù. It has no meat and no cream, and it cooks in about 20 minutes.

Tomatoes reached Europe from the Americas in the 16th century. Italians were slow to cook with them at first. An early printed Italian recipe for tomato sauce appears in Antonio Latini’s cookbook Lo scalco alla moderna, published in Naples in 1692. Since then, tomato sauce has become the backbone of southern Italian cooking.

Today you find the dish in every region. Families in Naples cook it on Sundays. Cooks in Rome serve it to children and grandparents alike. Many Italians call it the first dish they learned to make.

Ingredients for Spaghetti al Pomodoro

This serves four. Quality matters more than quantity here, so buy the best tomatoes you can find.

• 400g dried spaghetti
• 800g ripe, sweet tomatoes, or two 400g tins of whole peeled tomatoes
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
• A small handful of fresh basil leaves
• Fine sea salt, for the sauce and the pasta water
• Grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano, to serve (optional)

Which tomatoes should you use?

In summer, use ripe plum tomatoes or any variety that tastes sweet when you eat it raw. Out of season, tinned whole peeled tomatoes beat pale fresh ones every time. Look for tins labelled San Marzano, which come from the volcanic plains near Mount Vesuvius, or for any good Italian brand with a short ingredient list. Tomatoes and salt should be the only things inside.

Why whole tinned tomatoes work best

Whole tomatoes keep more of their natural flavour than chopped ones. Crush them with your hands in a bowl. You control the texture, and you avoid the firming agents some chopped tins contain.

How to Make Spaghetti al Pomodoro Step by Step

1. Peel fresh tomatoes by scoring a small cross in the base. Drop them into boiling water for 30 seconds, then move them to cold water. The skins slip off. Chop the flesh roughly. If you use tinned tomatoes, crush them by hand.
2. Warm the olive oil and garlic in a wide pan over a low heat. Let the garlic sizzle gently for two minutes. It should turn pale gold, not brown. Brown garlic tastes bitter.
3. Add the tomatoes and a good pinch of salt. Raise the heat to medium and bring the sauce to a lively simmer.
4. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring now and then. The sauce thickens and the oil starts to shine on the surface. Tear in half the basil in the last two minutes.
5. Remove the garlic if you want a milder flavour. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt.
6. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add roughly 10g of salt per litre. Drop in the spaghetti and cook it for one minute less than the packet says.
7. Save a mug of the starchy cooking water, then drain the pasta.
8. Tip the spaghetti into the sauce pan. Toss over a medium heat for one to two minutes, adding splashes of pasta water until the sauce coats the pasta in a silky layer.
9. Serve at once with the remaining basil, a thread of raw olive oil and cheese if you like.

Five Tips for a Better Sauce

These small habits separate a good plate from a great one.

Finish the pasta in the sauce

Never pour sauce over naked spaghetti. Cook the last minute of the pasta inside the pan. The starch from the noodles thickens the sauce, and the pasta soaks up flavour.

Use the pasta water

The cloudy water is full of starch. A few spoonfuls turn a watery sauce into a creamy one without any cream. Add it a little at a time.

Do not rush the garlic

Start the garlic in cold oil over a low heat. This draws out its sweetness slowly. If it browns, start again. A burnt clove spoils the whole pan.

Balance acidity without sugar

Some tomatoes taste sharp. Many Italian cooks add a grated carrot or a small piece of onion to the oil to soften the sauce. A longer simmer also helps. Sugar is rarely needed when the tomatoes are good.

Add the basil late

Heat dulls fresh basil fast. Tear the leaves with your fingers near the end and scatter more on the plate. Never chop basil with a knife, because it bruises and turns dark.

Variations on the Classic

Once you know the base, you can change it in small ways. Each version below keeps the same method.

• Spicy: add a pinch of dried chilli with the garlic for a gentle heat.
• Richer: stir a knob of butter into the finished sauce for a rounder taste.
• With ricotta: drop a spoonful of fresh ricotta on top of each plate.
• Other pasta: linguine, penne and bucatini all work well with this sauce.

If you want a different tomato-based pasta, try our spaghetti all’Amatriciana, which adds cured pork cheek. For a pasta with no tomato at all, see our Cacio e Pepe recipe.

How to Store and Reheat the Sauce

The sauce keeps in the fridge for up to four days in a covered container. It also freezes well for about three months. Cool it fully before you freeze it. Reheat it gently in a pan with a splash of water, then toss in freshly cooked pasta. Cooked spaghetti does not reheat as well, so cook only what you plan to eat.

Spaghetti al Pomodoro FAQ

What is the best tomato for spaghetti al pomodoro?

Ripe summer plum tomatoes give the sweetest result. Out of season, whole peeled tinned tomatoes, especially San Marzano types, are the better choice.

How long should I simmer the sauce?

Simmer it for 15 to 20 minutes. The sauce is ready when it thickens and the oil shines on the surface. Longer cooking dulls the fresh tomato flavour.

Do Italians put sugar in tomato sauce?

Most do not. They choose sweet tomatoes and cook the sauce gently. Some cooks add a little grated carrot to soften sharp tomatoes.

Is spaghetti al pomodoro vegetarian?

Yes, the base recipe uses only vegetables, oil, herbs and pasta. It becomes vegan if you leave out the cheese. Check that your dried spaghetti contains no egg.

You Might Also Enjoy

• Spaghetti all’Amatriciana Recipe: The Authentic Roman Pasta From Amatrice
• Tortellini in Brodo Recipe: Bologna’s Classic Pasta in Broth
• Arancini Recipe: Sicilian Rice Balls With Saffron and Ragù

Plan Your Italy Trip

Want to taste this dish where it began? Our Ultimate Italy Travel Guide helps you plan the trip, and our planning hub covers regions, routes and the best time to go.

Sharing is caring!