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Pasta & rice main dishes

Pasta with tomato sauce

⏱ 15 min🍳 8 min👤 2 pp★★☆☆☆

Do you find pasta with tomato sauce rather humdrum and boring? Well, you’d be wrong! It’s simple and yet it can be stunning! If you follow my recipe, it will be a thousand times more tasty than a tasty pasta sauce. I thought of it as a way of impressing when you have little time, but also simply to enjoy a lovely plate of pasta by yourself! To make my pasta with tomato sauce you will need only a few simple ingredients that you will most likely already have in the house: your preferred pasta shape, some tomatoes, some basil leaves (if you don’t have any fresh, use some freeze-dried although it won’t be the same), the best olive oil that you have at home, a chilli pepper (in this case you can resort to dried variety without any worries), and a clove of garlic. What more do you want from life? With these few ingredients you’ll get the essence of Mediterranean cuisine on one plate!

Ingredients

Nutritional values 350 kcal / serving
Protein
12g
Carbohydrates
72g
Fat
2g
Fiber
2g

* approximate values per serving

Information
15 minutes Preparation time
8 minutes Cooking time
Serves 2 persons
★★☆☆☆ Medium difficulty

Preparation

Boil the pasta and make the sauce while the pasta is cooking. To make the sauce, take the tomatoes and cut into irregular cubes (they will be blended when cooked), setting aside a few pieces that will serve as a garnish, also diced into not-too-big cubes. Heat the oil in a saucepan and gently fry the garlic and chilli. Add the coarsely chopped tomato, season with salt and sugar, and cook over a moderate heat. When you see that the tomatoes begin to lose their consistency and become more like a sauce (the liquid has evaporated), remove from heat and blend with an electric hand blender (including the garlic and chilli because they will add flavour). Add a few torn basil leaves to the sauce in the pan. Now we just need to wait until the pasta is cooked, at which point you simply add it to the sauce and serve with a drizzle of olive oil! And there you have a very tasty pasta with tomato sauce which is slightly out of the ordinary!

Tips
After generously sprinkling with Parmesan cheese, you can give a touch of exclusivity to your pasta with tomato sauce by accompanying it with a glass of chardonnay.
Trivia
The origins of the tomato - beyond the fact that they were brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus - are to be found in the Andes.

Step by step

Basil
Basil
**Click on the photos to access full step by step!

Additional information

Tomato Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes

A tasty variant of traditional tomato pasta is the preparation with cherry tomatoes. This version enhances the sweet and juicy flavor of the cherry tomatoes, making the dish even more inviting. To prepare it, simply replace the diced tomatoes with cherry tomatoes, which should be washed and halved. The cooking remains similar, but the cherry tomatoes require a slightly shorter cooking time to preserve their freshness. Additionally, you can enrich the sauce with a bit of oregano or fresh thyme for an even more intense aroma. Serve the tomato pasta with cherry tomatoes garnished with basil and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan for a final touch that will win everyone over.

Emilian Tomato Pasta

The Emilian tomato pasta represents a regional variant that enriches the dish with typical ingredients from Emilia Romagna. Here, the sauce is prepared with the addition of onion and carrot, which are sautéed together with garlic to create an even more flavorful base. This recipe also calls for the use of peeled tomatoes, which give a creamier consistency to the sauce. The ideal pasta for this preparation is tortiglioni, which holds the sauce well. Served with a generous sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano, the Emilian tomato pasta is a dish that tells the culinary tradition of this region, perfect for a family lunch or a dinner with friends.

Light Tomato Pasta without Oil

For those who want a lighter version of tomato pasta, here is the light preparation without oil. In this case, the sauce is made using only fresh tomatoes and herbs, completely avoiding oil. Start by heating the tomatoes in a non-stick pot, adding garlic, basil, and chili to flavor. Cook on low heat until you achieve a thick and fragrant sauce. This variant is ideal for those following a low-calorie diet or for anyone looking to maintain a healthy diet. The light tomato pasta without oil turns out to be a dish rich in flavor but low in calories, perfect for a tasty meal without guilt.

Nutritional Benefits of Tomato Pasta

Tomato pasta is a dish rich in nutritional benefits, thanks to the use of fresh and genuine ingredients. Tomatoes, in fact, are an excellent source of lycopene, an antioxidant known for its protective properties against certain diseases. Additionally, they are rich in vitamin C and potassium, which are beneficial for the immune system and cardiovascular health. Pasta, if whole grain, provides complex carbohydrates, useful for energy, and fiber that aids digestion. A serving of tomato pasta provides about 350-400 calories, depending on the amount of pasta and sauce used. This dish, therefore, is not only tasty but also nutritious, making it a great choice for a balanced meal.

Can Tomato Pasta be Frozen?

Yes, it is possible to freeze tomato pasta, but there are some precautions to follow to maintain flavor and consistency. It is advisable to freeze only the tomato sauce, as the pasta tends to become mushy once thawed. To do this, let the sauce cool and transfer it to airtight containers or food bags, being careful to remove excess air. You can freeze the sauce for up to three months. When you want to consume it, simply thaw it in the refrigerator or heat it directly in a pan. Once heated, you can add the cooked pasta for a delicious and quick dish to prepare, ideal for days when you have little time to cook.