*This post may contain affiliate links. Thank you for your support.
Indulge in a classic Italian dish with this delicious spaghetti pomodoro recipe. Featuring fresh tomatoes, basil, and garlic, this pasta dish is sure to become a family favorite.
Spaghetti Pomodoro, or Spaghetti alla Napoletana, is the epitome of Italian cuisine—simple ingredients, fresh flavors, and a whole lot of love. Whether you’re cooking for yourself, your family, or hosting friends, Spaghetti Pomodoro is a go-to recipe that never fails to impress.
First things first, why is Spaghetti Pomodoro so special? It’s all about the ingredients. We’re talking about juicy, ripe tomatoes, fragrant basil, and a hint of garlic—all coming together to create a sauce that’s light yet bursting with flavor. Plus, this pasta pomodoro recipe is quick and easy to make, perfect for those busy weeknights or a lazy Sunday dinner. Buon appetito!
What Readers Are Saying
Readers who have made this recipe are raving about it! Here is what they had to say after feeding their family:
What is Pomodoro Sauce?
Pomodoro sauce, or “Sugo di Pomodoro” in Italian, is a classic Italian pasta sauce made primarily from tomatoes. It’s smooth with chunks of crushed tomatoes and a tad thicker than Marinara Sauce. The word “Pomodoro” translates to “tomato” in English, highlighting the key ingredient in this simple yet flavorful sauce.
Pomodoro sauce is beloved for its simplicity and versatility. It’s a perfect example of Italian cuisine’s focus on high-quality ingredients and straightforward cooking techniques. The result is a sauce that’s fresh, vibrant, and perfect for coating pasta.
Tips for the Best Spaghetti Pomodoro
- Use High-Quality Ingredients: Ripe canned tomatoes that are high quality make a world of difference. I love using the canned tomatoes from the Italian brand “Mutti” – the best in my opinion.
- Don’t Overcook the Pasta: Al dente is key. The pasta should have a little bite to it, which pairs perfectly with the soft tomato sauce.
- Save the Pasta Water: This starchy water is liquid gold for adjusting the consistency of your sauce.
- Toss Pasta & Sauce: Tossing spaghetti in the sauce before serving is a key step that elevates your pasta dish from good to truly authentic and delicious.
Ingredients
See recipe card for quantities.
- Spaghetti: While Spaghetti Pomodoro is a classic, Pomodoro sauce is versatile and pairs beautifully with many types of pasta. Use penne, fusilli, rigatoni, bucatini, angel hair, or fettuccine.
- Tomatoes: Use a can of whole peeled tomatoes and their juice for a chunky sauce.
- Tomato Paste: Only one tablespoon for an intenser flavor and some sweetness.
- Garlic & Shallot: They are key for more flavor. Feel free to omit the shallot or substitute with a small yellow onion.
- Fresh Basil Leaves: A handful, torn into pieces.
- Sugar: This regulates the acidity of tomatoes!
- Red Pepper Flakes: Optional, but add a subtle heat to the sauce. I use only a pinch.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt, Black Pepper
- Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated, for serving. Use this vegan Parmesan cheese for a dairy-free alternative!
Visual Step-by-Step Instructions
This visual step-by-step instruction will help you along the way – definitely recommended if you’re a cooking beginner!
- Heat a large pot, add olive oil, chopped onions, and garlic, and sauté for a few minutes until translucent. Add tomato paste and, if you like crushed red pepper flakes, and sauté for another minute.
- Add the canned tomatoes, fresh basil, sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a subtle boil, reduce to medium-low heat, and let it simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. → You can crush large tomato chunks with the back of a wooden spoon.
- Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salt water until al dente. Reserve some pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta through a colander.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss for one minute, stirring constantly. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit of the reserved pasta water to achieve the desired consistency.
- Serve your Spaghetti Pomodoro with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Variations
- Tomatoes: Instead of whole canned tomatoes, use tomato passata for a much richer and a tad sweeter sauce. If in season, you can also go for fresh ripe tomatoes such as plum tomatoes or san marzano tomatoes.
- Smooth: It’s not authentic, but feel free to blend the sauce using a blender before tossing it with the pasta.
- Extra Flavor: Add halved cherry tomatoes and/or sliced sun-dried tomatoes along with the garlic to the oil, this gives this classic Italian dish a much deeper flavor.
- Creamy: To make a creamy version of this classic sauce, stir in a splash of heavy cream or a dollop of mascarpone cheese at the end of cooking.
Storage Instructions
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a pan with a little water.
More Tomato Recipes
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below.
Please follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or sign up for my free newsletter to never miss the newest recipes. I would be thrilled to welcome you to my community & thank you so much for your support!
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on Sept 13, 2019. It was republished with new images and more helpful content on June 25, 2024.
📖 Recipe
Spaghetti Pomodoro
Click on the stars to leave a vote!
Ingredients
Pomodoro Sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot or yellow onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic finely sliced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper optional
- 1 x 14.5 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
- ¼ cup fresh basil chopped
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt or more to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper or more to taste
Spaghetti Pomodoro
- 7 oz spaghetti or pasta of choice
- ½ bunch fresh basil chopped
Instructions
- Heat a large pot, add olive oil, chopped onions, and garlic, and sauté for a few minutes until translucent. Add tomato paste and, if you like crushed red pepper flakes, and sauté for another minute.
- Add the canned tomatoes, fresh basil, sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a subtle boil, reduce to medium-low heat, and let it simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. → You can crush large tomato chunks with the back of a wooden spoon.
- Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salt water until al dente. Reserve some pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta through a colander.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss for one minute, stirring constantly. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit of the reserved pasta water to achieve the desired consistency.
- Serve your Spaghetti Pomodoro with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Notes
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a pan with a little water.
Made this tonight and it was delicious. Omitted onion simply as had none in and blended sauce at the end as I like a nice smooth sauce. Used Mutti peeled tomatoes which are the best! Will be making this again and again.
So glad to hear Laura! 💕 The supermarket near my house sells canned Mutti tomatoes (in all forms) since a few weeks and I also think they’re the best – very aromatic!
I agree with you
So glad to hear, Lillie! 💕
This sauce turned out amazing, such beautiful color. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for letting me know, Destiny! ❤️
Delicious. Simple but very flavourful! Will be part of my regular lineup. Thanks !
I am so happy to hear that Chrissy! ❤️
Hoy lo hice y quedó riquísimooooo.
Gracias Renata! ❤️