Pasta with Tomato Basil (Printable)
Al dente pasta in a bright tomato-basil sauce with Parmesan — quick, comforting Italian dinner in 30 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 14 oz dried pasta (spaghetti, penne, or preferred shape)
02 - Salt, for pasta water
→ Tomato Sauce
03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
06 - 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
07 - 1 teaspoon sugar
08 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
09 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Finishing Touches
11 - 3/4 oz fresh basil leaves, torn
12 - 1 3/4 oz grated Parmesan cheese (plus extra for serving)
13 - 1 tablespoon olive oil, for drizzling
# How-To Steps:
01 - Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water, then drain the pasta in a colander.
02 - While the pasta cooks, warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and chopped onion, sautéing until fragrant and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.
03 - Pour in the crushed tomatoes, sugar, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
04 - Transfer the drained pasta into the skillet with the sauce. Toss thoroughly to coat every strand or piece, adding splashes of the reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky, clinging consistency.
05 - Remove the skillet from heat. Fold in the torn basil leaves and grated Parmesan cheese, then drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Toss once more to distribute evenly.
06 - Divide among warm bowls immediately. Garnish with additional Parmesan and fresh basil leaves if desired. Serve alongside a crisp Italian white wine or Chianti for a complete meal.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce simmers while the pasta cooks, so everything finishes at almost the same time, which feels like a small miracle on a Tuesday.
- It uses pantry staples you probably already have, which means no emergency grocery store runs.
- The leftover sauce tastes even better the next day, making lunch something you actually look forward to.
02 -
- Under salted pasta water is the number one reason restaurant pasta tastes better than homemade, so be generous.
- Adding the pasta to the sauce rather than the other way around lets the starches bind everything together into a cohesive dish.
03 -
- Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce for the last minute rather than draining and adding later, it absorbs flavor directly into the noodles.
- A tiny pat of butter stirred in at the very end rounds out the acidity and adds a velvety texture that olive oil alone cannot achieve.