Classic Spaghetti al Pomodoro
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 8
Why I Love This Recipe
This is probably the pasta I make more than any other. It’s proof that great Italian cooking isn’t about long ingredient lists or simmering a sauce all day. With quality tomatoes, good olive oil, a little garlic, and perfectly cooked pasta, dinner can be on the table in about the same amount of time it takes to boil the water.
It’s also one of the recipes that inspired the pantry philosophy in this article. Every ingredient keeps well, every ingredient gets used often, and nothing goes to waste.
What You’ll Need
2 pounds spaghetti
2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes (Mutti is my favorite, Cento is another excellent choice.)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3–4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
A tiny pinch of ground cloves (less than ⅛ teaspoon)
Kosher salt
4–5 fresh basil leaves, hand torn (optional)
or 1–2 teaspoons Amore Pesto Paste
Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Method
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente according to the package directions.
While the pasta cooks, warm the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook just until it becomes fragrant and lightly golden. Don’t rush this step and don’t allow the garlic to brown.
Pour the tomatoes into a bowl and crush them by hand before adding them to the pan along with all of their juices.
Season lightly with salt and add the tiniest pinch of ground cloves. The clove shouldn’t be noticeable in the finished sauce. Its only purpose is to add a subtle depth that makes the sauce taste like it has been cooking much longer than it actually has.
Allow the sauce to simmer gently while the pasta finishes cooking, about 15 to 20 minutes.
If you don’t have fresh basil, remove the sauce from the heat and stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of Amore Pesto Paste. It won’t make the sauce taste like pesto. It simply adds back the bright basil notes that would otherwise be missing.
Transfer the cooked spaghetti directly into the sauce with a small splash of pasta water. Toss until every strand is coated, adding another splash of pasta water if needed to create a silky sauce.
Divide among warm bowls and finish with plenty of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano. If you have fresh basil, tear 4 or 5 leaves by hand and scatter them over the pasta just before serving. The heat from the pasta is all that’s needed to release their wonderful aroma.
Joe’s Tips
Whole tomatoes are worth the extra minute.
I almost always buy whole peeled tomatoes and crush them myself. The texture is better, and in my experience the quality is more consistent than canned crushed tomatoes.
The pinch of clove is my secret.
Use less than ⅛ teaspoon. No one should ever say, “I taste clove.” They should simply wonder why your quick tomato sauce has the depth of one that’s been simmering all afternoon.
Fresh basil when you have it. Pantry basil when you don’t.
If fresh basil is growing in the garden or sitting in the refrigerator, tear a few leaves over the finished pasta just before serving. If it isn’t, don’t make a special trip to the store. A teaspoon or two of Amore Pesto Paste stirred into the finished sauce provides those fresh basil notes and keeps this recipe true to the pantry philosophy—using fresh ingredients when they’re available and smart pantry staples when they’re not.
Make It Your Own
Add homemade meatballs for a heartier meal.
Top with fresh burrata for company.
Finish with a drizzle of your favorite DOP finishing olive oil.
Add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes if you enjoy a little heat.
Serve It With
A crisp green salad, warm Italian bread, and a glass of Chianti Classico make this an effortless meal for family or friends.
Pantry Staples Used
Dried spaghetti
Whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
Garlic
Amore Pesto Paste
Parmigiano Reggiano
This recipe reminds me every time I make it that Italian cooking is often at its best when we simply let great ingredients speak for themselves. With a few quality pantry staples and half an hour, you can put a meal on the table that feels every bit as comforting as one that’s been cooking all day.