Spaghetti al Pomodoro - a simple pasta dish that will transport you back to Italy.
The first time I had Spaghetti al Pomodoro was in Manarola which is located in the Cinque Terre region of Italy.
It was such a simple dish, yet bursting in flavor, and easily the best pasta dish I ever had!
At that moment I told myself that when I return home, I'll recreate this pasta. That was 7 years ago. Better late than never, right?
Here is Spaghetti al Pomodoro made with fresh tomatoes and garlic sauteed in lots of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Of course, I added a healthy twist and used whole wheat spaghetti instead of white pasta, it still tastes amazing.
Top off the pasta with fresh basil and Parmigiano Reggiano (the real thing). I promise you this dish will transport you back to Italy.
This recipe is:
Whole Wheat
Vegetarian
Only 6 Ingredients
Made with Fresh Ingredients
30 Minutes to Prepare
Incredibly Flavorful
📖 Recipe Card
Spaghetti al Pomodoro
Ingredients
- pot of boiling water
- 1 pound organic whole wheat spaghetti
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 fresh basil strands, for cooking
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes, sliced in thirds (about 5 ½ cups chopped tomatoes)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup of strachy pasta water
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 20 leaves fresh basil, julienne
Instructions
- Start by heating a pot of water.
- You'll need 2 pints of tomatoes.
- Slice the tomatoes in thirds, my cherry tomatoes were slightly bigger.
- That's a lot of tomatoes.
- Now chop the garlic and you'll need 2 strands of fresh basil.
- Heat a skillet with extra virgin olive oil.
- Once hot, add the garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook for less than a minute.
- Now add the 2 strands of basil. Stir for a few seconds.
- Add all the cherry tomatoes.
- Stir. Cook the tomatoes down for about 10 minutes.
- Season the water with salt and add the spaghetti to the boiling water. Follow the instructions on the package and cook the pasta until al dente.
- In the meantime, grate the Parmigiano Reggiano and julienne the fresh basil leaves.
- Check on the pasta, should be done. Make sure you reserve some pasta water for later.
- Check on the sauce, Remove the 2 strands of basil.
- Add the spaghetti.
- Add ¼ cup of starchy pasta water. Toss.
- Add Parmigiano Reggiano. Toss.
- Add fresh basil. Serve immediately.
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