Pasta Pomodoro | Ambitious Kitchen - Sugar Hearted Foodie

Get ready for one of the easiest, freshest and most satisfying summer recipes to grace your dinner table. I made this using fresh tomatoes and basil from my garden and it quickly became a staple in our house.

That delicious tomato puree the recipe is made with just 5 basic ingredients, comes together in 30 minutes, and will have anyone coming back for seconds. I love using fresh cherry tomatoes in the sauce because they are full of flavor and have the perfect texture. You’ll cook them down with some garlic until they’re beautifully jammy, toss them together, add some basil and BOOM — dinner’s on the table in no time.

Top this lovely pasta dish with fresh basil and some cheese for a light, comforting meal any day of the week!

What is pasta pomodoro?

“Pomodoro” means tomato in Italian, so pasta pomodoro is simply pasta tossed in a lovely, light tomato sauce with garlic and fresh herbs. So easy to make and delicious!

Everything you need to make a pomodoro pasta

This recipe only requires a handful of simple ingredients, but is packed with fresh flavors. Here’s what you’ll need:

pasta: feel free to use your favorite noodle shape in this recipe. I love spaghetti or bucatini to swirl all the sauce.
For the sauce: you will cook garlic and cherry tomatoes in olive oil and season them with salt and pepper.
basil: we also stir in basil for the perfect bites of freshness.
To serve: this is optional, but I like to stir in grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, because what’s pasta without spicy, salty cheese?

Do it your way

You can easily customize your pasta pomodoro recipe to make it your own!

Go gluten-free: just use your favorite gluten-free pasta shape and toss it in this lovely spreadable cherry tomato sauce.
Keep it vegan and dairy-free: omit the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to keep it dairy-free. It will be delicious again!

Looking to add more protein?

I think cooked, sliced chicken sausages, Italian sausages, these homemade meatballs, or the chicken from this recipe it will pair perfectly with this pasta recipe.

Pomodoro pasta in 4 easy steps

Cook your pasta. Add a generous amount of salt to a large pot of water and cook your pasta until al dente.
Make the sauce. Add olive oil to a large pan and cook the garlic for about 10-15 seconds, being careful not to burn. Stir in the cherry tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and crush them lightly with a wooden spoon so that they burst and become a nice jam.
Mix the sauce. Reserve a cup of pasta water and add half of it to the tomato sauce in the pan. Add everything to a blender or use an immersion blender to blend the sauce with the pasta water until it’s pureed but still has some nice chunks of tomato in it, then stir in the fresh basil.
Mix the paste. Add the drained pasta to the pan with the tomato sauce and gently toss to combine. Add more pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed.
Garnish and serve. Taste the pasta and season with salt and pepper if needed, then top with Parmigiano Reggiano and basil and serve!

Save the sauce for later

Feel free to double the sauce recipe and freeze leftover sauce in an airtight container for up to 2 months. This is a great way to have homemade gravy on order for those busy weeknights!

Storage Tips

Store any leftover pomodoro pasta in hermetically sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Just warm in the microwave before serving.

More pasta recipes you’ll love

Get all my pasta recipes here!

I hope you enjoy this homemade pasta pomodoro recipe! If you do, don’t forget to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!

The
Ambitious cuisine
Cookbook

125 ridiculously good-for-you, sometimes indulgent, and absolutely never boring recipes for every meal of the day

Tomato puree

Time to prepare 15 minutes

Cooking time 15 minutes

Total time 30 minutes

Serves4 portions

Simple and delicious pomodoro pasta made in just 30 minutes with crushed cherry tomatoes, garlic and fresh basil. This easy pasta pomodoro recipe makes a great weeknight meal that the whole family will love!

ingredients

Pasta and sauce:
10 ounces spaghetti or bucatini
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 clove garlic, finely minced
2 a pint cherry tomatoes, halved
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
10 large basil leaves, roughly chopped
For serving and garnish:
Fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Small basil leaves, for garnish

Instructions

Place a large pot of water over high heat and add a generous amount of salt.
While you wait for the water to boil, mince the garlic, halve the tomatoes and chop the basil. Once the water is boiling, drop in the pasta, stirring every few minutes to prevent sticking, and cook until al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, make the tomato sauce: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, stir in the garlic, cook for just 10-15 seconds; be careful not to burn the garlic! Add the halved cherry tomatoes and mix them together with the garlic. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, then cook the tomatoes, stirring frequently and breaking them up gently with a wooden spoon until they burst. Cook the sauce for about 6-8 minutes, or until the tomatoes are juicy and jammy, then turn off the heat.
Before draining the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and add about ½ cup to the tomato sauce in the pan. Drain the pasta and set aside while you mix the sauce. Use an immersion blender* to blend the tomato sauce and ½ cup pasta water until it’s mostly pureed but still has bits of tomato remaining. Add the chopped fresh basil.
Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan with the tomato sauce and use tongs to toss the pasta with the sauce. If necessary, add more pasta water to loosen the sauce. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if desired. Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and fresh basil leaves on top.

Recipe Notes

*If you don’t have an immersion blender, carefully transfer the sauce to a regular blender and blend a few times; we want the sauce to be mostly pureed but still have a bit of lumpiness!
Feel free to double the sauce recipe and freeze leftover sauce in an airtight container for up to 2 months.