Pasta Pomodoro is a light, Italian dish made with tomatoes, olive oil, parmesan cheese, and basil. It is so simple, quick, and so delicious! This dish is great to throw together for a quick weeknight meal or as the main course for entertaining. Pair with some garlic bread and a fresh salad.
The term ‘pomodoro’ means tomato. Therefore, pasta pomodoro is simply pasta with tomato sauce. Sounds simple enough and it is easy to make, but I promise you the flavors are anything but simple. They are wonderfully robust and full of life, especially if fresh ingredients are available to you.
Pasta Pomodoro Key Ingredients
Because this dish only has a few key ingredients, it is important to use fresh, high quality products.
Pasta
While spaghetti is the traditional pasta used in this dish, any pasta you have on hand will work. I’ve used fettuccine, angel hair, rotini, rigatoni, etc.
Olive Oil
Extra-virgin olive oil is the best oil to use for this recipe.
Onion
I prefer to use a yellow onion for this dish. Yellow onions are considered all-purpose onions because they work well in most dishes.
Garlic
This recipe calls for garlic cloves but if you do not have them on hand, it is fine to use minced garlic.
Tomatoes
Typically, I use tomatoes fresh from our garden. However, if I am preparing this off-season, I will use one 28 ounce can of San Marzano Whole Tomatoes, pureed in the food processor or blender.
Pasta Pomodoro Process
First, heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion until soft and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two.
When the garlic is fragrant, add in the tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and chicken broth. Cook for 15 minutes and then season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper (if using). Cook for 5 minutes more and then stir in the basil. Let this simmer on low to medium-low while preparing your pasta.
Cook pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and carefully add to the sauce. Simmer for a few minutes. Serve warm garnished with grated Parmesan cheese and basil.
Pasta Pomodoro Variations
This dish is delicious on its own but you can also get creative with some add-ins. Try some of the following to spice things up.
- Meat – Chicken, sausage, or shrimp would pair well with this meal.
- Vegetables – Try adding in some zucchini, eggplant, or artichokes.
Can I Freeze Pasta Pomodoro?
Pomodoro sauce (without the pasta) can be frozen in a heavy duty freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. This is a great way to use up those extra garden tomatoes and enjoy them during the colder months!
Tips
- Ingredients – Try to use fresh, high quality ingredients in this dish. It will make a big difference!
- Storage – Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
My Preferred Tools
You may already have many of these items in your kitchen. I recommend the following for this recipe:
- Strainer – to drain pasta
- Deep Skillet – to cook sauce
- Sharp knife set – to chop veggies
- Cutting board – to chop veggies
Pasta Pomodoro
Pasta Pomodoro is a light, Italian dish made with tomatoes, olive oil, parmesan cheese, and basil. It is so simple and so delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti
- SAUCE:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups roma or cherry tomatoes, diced
- 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 14.5 oz (1 can) chicken broth
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Crushed red pepper to taste (optional)
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped, plus more for garnish
- Grated Parmesan, for garnish
Directions
- Step 1 Heat olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion until soft and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute or two.
- Step 2 Add in tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and chicken broth. Cook for 15 minutes and then season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper (if using). Cook for 5 minutes more and then stir in basil. Let simmer while preparing pasta.
- Step 3 Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and carefully add to the sauce. Simmer for a few minutes. Serve warm garnished with grated Parmesan cheese and basil.
- Step 4 STORAGE: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Pomodoro sauce (without pasta) can be frozen in a heavy duty freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
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