My humble belief is that you can always judge a restaurant by its most basic dish. In this case, my litmus test for Italian restaurants is their Pomodoro sauce – olive oil, garlic, basil, tomatoes … I mean it doesn’t get simpler than that right? It’s also one of those sauces that traditionally is made by feel, and will be slightly different each time, depending on who is making it. The recipe I’m posting is very basic and forgiving, so don’t dwell too much on measurements. Go by taste and feel, and make it your own.
Like most anything that requires few ingredients, the quality of each ingredient becomes more important as they play a bigger role in the overall result. Pomodoro is no exception. The star (and 90%) of this sauce is tomatoes, so use the best tomatoes you can find – specifically whole San Marzano tomatoes from Italy, if you can. There are many brands, but the most common brand you’re likely to see is from Cento. If you happen to have a specialty grocer nearby, there are a lot of other (and arguably better) options.
If you’re unfamiliar, San Marzano tomatoes are from Southern Italy just outside of Naples. They are similar to Roma tomatoes, but with a more elongated shape, denser flesh, fewer seeds, and sweeter than its Roma cousin. Overall it is more flavorful than the Roma, which in a sauce like this (where all the flavor is from the tomatoes) is obviously important. Buy whole tomatoes, as these tomatoes will be higher quality than the crushed, chopped, or puree version. Crush them yourself, in a bowl with your hands to get the texture (smoothness) you like.
Use this sauce with any pasta of your choice, but it’s a light sauce, so a light pasta works best. Cook your pasta slightly under al dente and finish it in the sauce. Throw in some extra basil and parmesan cheese and it’s ready to go. Buon appetito!
Spaghettini Pomodoro
Ingredients
- 8 oz capellini pasta, or thin spaghetti
Pomodoro Sauce
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup thin sliced garlic, about 5-6 large cloves
- 1 handful fresh basil
- 1-2 tsp red chili flakes (optional), adjust to taste
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 28oz whole canned tomatoes, see notes
- sugar, see notes
- salt & pepper, to taste
How I Make It
- Crush the whole tomatoes by hand in a large bowl (or you can mash with a potato masher but your hands will work best) until you have the consistency (smooth or chunkiness) you like. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil on low. Add sliced garlic and let it infuse the oil slowly on low heat. Keep your eye on it and stir regularly to make sure the garlic doesn't burn or turn brown. Do this for about 5-10 minutes, until the garlic is softenned. Shred some of the basil by hand, and add to the simmering oil. Add chili flakes if using, and infuse the oil a little longer, about 3-5 minutes or so.
- Add tomato paste and incorporate into the oil/garlic/basil.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and bring to a low simmer. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 15-20 minutes to combine all the flavors. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar (if needed) to taste. In the final minutes of the sauce, shred some more extra basil and stir through.
- Cook your pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Toss the cooked pasta into the pomodoro sauce and coat through. Sprinkle some extra basil and parmesan cheese and serve!
Notes
- Whole tomatoes are generally better quality than any other canned tomato form. Crush whole tomatoes with your hands (or a potato masher) in a bowl to the smoothness you want.
- For best result, use the best quality tomato you can find - preferably San Marzano tomatoes from Italy.
- Tomatoes are naturally acidic and a little sugar is often added to balance that out. However like any produce, tomatoes will vary in taste from batch to batch and year to year. Some will be sweeter than others, so start with a teaspoon of sugar if you need it, taste, and adjust to your taste. I like my pomodoro sauce on the acidic side so I add as little sugar as possible. Some tomatoes, I have found, are already naturally sweet enough that no sugar is needed!
