Pasta al Pomodoro
4.6
(149)
Sometimes the best dishes are also the simplest. That’s certainly the case for this pasta al pomodoro recipe. Unlike robust marinara sauce, which is usually hit hard with dried herbs and takes an hour or more to reduce, pomodoro sauce is bright, streamlined, and comes together in a fraction of the time. Tomatoes are the star here, so choose the best: Seek out whole canned tomatoes (preferably San Marzano), since diced and other processed versions can be inferior. You can use fresh tomatoes in season, but you’ll want to peel them first (the sauce might take longer to reduce due to the additional water content).
We like to use long noodles like bucatini, spaghetti, or linguine for this Italian pasta dish, but feel free to use your favorite pasta shape—penne also works well. Remember to salt your pasta water and drain the noodles when they’re just shy of al dente. To finish, toss the cooked pasta with the pomodoro sauce, adding splashes of reserved pasta water as needed, until the two coalesce into a singular silky, saucy, noodle-y whole.
Complete the meal with a simple vegetable side like slow-cooked zucchini or roasted asparagus tossed in pesto—or go full red-sauce joint with a crisp Caesar salad and garlic bread. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and a shower of Parmesan cheese.
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