Pasta Pomodoro Lets You Skip The Jar Of Marinara Recipe

I share a Pasta Pomodoro Recipe that turns pantry staples into a fast, authentic Italian classic perfect for busy weeknights.

I didn’t think I’d ditch jars for something this simple but Pasta Pomodoro Lets You Skip The Jar Of Marinara and I’m honestly hooked. It’s exactly the fast and easy dinner I reach for on weeknights, a real Italian classic that somehow still surprises me.

I like to keep it unsentimental: just good pasta, a scatter of fresh basil leaves and a few quick tricks that make it sing. I’ve put it under Pasta Pomodoro on the blog and yeah it fits right in with my Quick Pasta Recipes roundup.

Try it once, you’ll keep finding excuses to make it again.

Ingredients

• Tomatoes: juicy high in vitamin C and fiber, adds sweet and bright acidity to sauce
• Garlic: pungent has allicin and tiny protein, gives sharp savory warmth and depth
• Olive oil: mostly healthy monounsaturated fats, adds silkiness, but it’s calorie dense
• Pasta: carbs for energy, some protein, it fills you up quick
• Basil: fragrant almost zero calories, offers herbal brightness and fresh aroma
• Parmesan: salty adds umami and calcium, small protein boost and savory crunch
• Onion: optional adds sweetness when cooked, gives fiber and trace minerals
• Butter: optional small amount rounds the sauce, adds saturated fat and silk

Ingredient Quantities

• 12 oz (340 g) spaghetti or linguine
• 1 1/2 lb (700 g) ripe plum tomatoes, or about 2 pints cherry tomatoes
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (optional)
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 tbsp coarse kosher salt for pasta water, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Pinch of sugar (optional)
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter (optional, for a silkier sauce)
• 1/2 to 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water (keeps the sauce loose)

How to Make this

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt, then cook 12 oz spaghetti or linguine until just al dente according to the package; before draining scoop out 1/2 to 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and set aside, then drain the pasta.

2. While the water heats, prep 1 1/2 lb ripe plum tomatoes by quartering them and gently squeezing out big seeds, or halve about 2 pints cherry tomatoes; no need to be perfect, rough chop is fine.

3. Heat 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 small finely chopped yellow onion if using and cook until softened about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring a few times.

4. Add 3 large minced garlic cloves and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes if you like heat, cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant but dont let the garlic burn.

5. Add the chopped tomatoes, a pinch of sugar if they seem acidic, season with freshly ground black pepper and a little more salt to taste, then simmer uncovered until they break down and make a saucy mixture about 8 to 12 minutes, smashing some with the back of a spoon as they soften.

6. If you want a silkier sauce stir in 1 tablespoon unsalted butter near the end of the simmer, taste and adjust seasoning again; the sauce should be loose not gluey.

7. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss well, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time 1/2 to 1 cup total to loosen the sauce and help it cling to the noodles, cook together for another 1 to 2 minutes so the pasta soaks up flavor.

8. Remove from heat, stir in 1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves and 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, tossing until the cheese melts into the sauce.

9. Plate the pasta, top with extra grated cheese and a few torn basil leaves, drizzle a little more olive oil if you want, and serve immediately.

Equipment Needed

1. Large pot for boiling the pasta (about 6 to 8 qt is good)
2. Colander for draining the noodles
3. Large skillet or sauté pan for the sauce and tossing the pasta
4. Wooden spoon or sturdy spatula to stir and smash the tomatoes
5. Chef’s knife for chopping tomatoes and onion
6. Cutting board
7. Ladle or heatproof measuring cup to scoop out the reserved pasta water
8. Tongs or a pasta fork to toss and serve
9. Box grater or microplane for fresh Parmesan

FAQ

Pasta Pomodoro Lets You Skip The Jar Of Marinara Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Tomatoes: If you don’t have ripe plum or cherry tomatoes use one 28 oz can of whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crush them by hand. They’ll give a steady, sweet flavor, but taste for salt and add a pinch of sugar only if it’s too acidic.
• Pasta: Swap spaghetti for whole wheat or a gluten free brown rice linguine, or any short pasta like penne or rigatoni if you want more sauce cling. Cook to one or two minutes shy of package directions then finish in the sauce with reserved pasta water.
• Cheese: If you want a sharper, saltier bite use Pecorino Romano or Grana Padano in the same amount, but cut the added salt a little. For a vegan option use 3 to 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast plus a pinch of salt for that cheesy note.
• Basil: No basil on hand, use flat leaf parsley for freshness or a handful of baby arugula torn and stirred in at the end for a peppery lift. Use about the same volume, taste and adjust.

Pro Tips

1) Salt like you mean it, dont be shy. A well salted pot is the only way the pasta will taste good on its own, and the starchy cooking water you save will make the sauce cling better, so scoop out 1 cup before you drain.

2) Protect the garlic. Garlic burns crazy fast and then tastes bitter, so cook it low and add it after the onion’s softened or drop it in once the tomatoes are already loosening up. If you do scorch a clove, toss it and start that step again, its worth it.

3) Use texture tricks not gadgets. Smash some tomatoes with the back of a spoon while they simmer so you keep bits of fresh tomato and some whole pieces too, it makes the sauce lively. If tomatoes are too acidic, a tiny pinch of sugar or a quick splash of vinegar or lemon fixes it, but add a little at a time.

4) Finish in the pan and be brave with pasta water, cheese and butter. Toss the drained pasta right into the sauce off the heat, ladle in reserved hot pasta water a bit at a time and stir in the grated cheese and a knob of butter to make a silky emulsion, taste and adjust salt at the end.

Pasta Pomodoro Lets You Skip The Jar Of Marinara Recipe

Recipe by James Level

0.0 from 0 votes

I share a Pasta Pomodoro Recipe that turns pantry staples into a fast, authentic Italian classic perfect for busy weeknights.

Pin

Servings

4

servings

Calories

517

kcal

Equipment: 1. Large pot for boiling the pasta (about 6 to 8 qt is good)
2. Colander for draining the noodles
3. Large skillet or sauté pan for the sauce and tossing the pasta
4. Wooden spoon or sturdy spatula to stir and smash the tomatoes
5. Chef’s knife for chopping tomatoes and onion
6. Cutting board
7. Ladle or heatproof measuring cup to scoop out the reserved pasta water
8. Tongs or a pasta fork to toss and serve
9. Box grater or microplane for fresh Parmesan

Ingredients

• 12 oz (340 g) spaghetti or linguine

• 1 1/2 lb (700 g) ripe plum tomatoes, or about 2 pints cherry tomatoes

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 3 large garlic cloves, minced

• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (optional)

• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

• 1 tbsp coarse kosher salt for pasta water, plus more to taste

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• Pinch of sugar (optional)

• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter (optional, for a silkier sauce)

• 1/2 to 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water (keeps the sauce loose)

Directions

• Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt, then cook 12 oz spaghetti or linguine until just al dente according to the package; before draining scoop out 1/2 to 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and set aside, then drain the pasta.
• While the water heats, prep 1 1/2 lb ripe plum tomatoes by quartering them and gently squeezing out big seeds, or halve about 2 pints cherry tomatoes; no need to be perfect, rough chop is fine.
• Heat 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 small finely chopped yellow onion if using and cook until softened about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring a few times.
• Add 3 large minced garlic cloves and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes if you like heat, cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant but dont let the garlic burn.
• Add the chopped tomatoes, a pinch of sugar if they seem acidic, season with freshly ground black pepper and a little more salt to taste, then simmer uncovered until they break down and make a saucy mixture about 8 to 12 minutes, smashing some with the back of a spoon as they soften.
• If you want a silkier sauce stir in 1 tablespoon unsalted butter near the end of the simmer, taste and adjust seasoning again; the sauce should be loose not gluey.
• Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss well, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time 1/2 to 1 cup total to loosen the sauce and help it cling to the noodles, cook together for another 1 to 2 minutes so the pasta soaks up flavor.
• Remove from heat, stir in 1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves and 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, tossing until the cheese melts into the sauce.
• Plate the pasta, top with extra grated cheese and a few torn basil leaves, drizzle a little more olive oil if you want, and serve immediately.

Notes

• Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.

Nutrition Facts

• Serving Size: 390g
• Total number of serves: 4
• Calories: 517kcal
• Fat: 19.3g
• Saturated Fat: 5.8g
• Trans Fat: 0.1g
• Polyunsaturated: 1.9g
• Monounsaturated: 9.3g
• Cholesterol: 18.5mg
• Sodium: 388mg
• Potassium: 599mg
• Carbohydrates: 71.2g
• Fiber: 5.1g
• Sugar: 6.3g
• Protein: 17g
• Vitamin A: 1525IU
• Vitamin C: 24mg
• Calcium: 188mg
• Iron: 3.8mg