SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE PASTA
There’s something downright magical about a homemade simple tomato sauce pasta, and it all boils down to the ingredients and a bit of seasonal luck. When tomatoes are in season, they’re plump, juicy, and bursting with natural sweetness and acidity. That freshness shines through when you chop up whole tomatoes, releasing vibrant, tangy juices that form the delicious base of your sauce.
Add shallots for subtle sweetness, a kick of chilli for warmth, and plenty of garlic to punch up the flavour. Fresh basil literally lifts the whole dish with its fragrant, slightly peppery notes. None of these ingredients need to be fancy or complicated, they’re pantry heroes with a makeover thanks to their peakseason freshness.
As the sauce simmers gently, the flavours meld together, creating that rich, soul warming magic that’s perfectly at home twirling through spaghetti. It’s simple, honest food powered by nature’s rhythm, fresh tomatoes at their absolute best making everything ridiculously delicious without needing a kitchen full of gizmos or exotic spices.
Adding pasta water to a sauce is like giving your dish a secret weapon. The starchy water helps to bind the sauce and the pasta together, creating a silky, luscious texture that clings perfectly to every noodle. It also helps to loosen up a sauce that's too thick without diluting the flavour, keeping the taste bold and balanced. Plus, that salty water adds a bit of extra seasoning, lifting the whole dish.
SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE PASTA
〰️
SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE PASTA 〰️
TIme: 40 minutes
Serves: 2 plates
200gm spaghetti
2 table spoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 large shallot, finely diced
Pinch chilli flakes
4 large tomatoes, cut into cubes
5 stalks fresh basil, washed
Cracked black pepper
Salt
1 table spoon extra virgin olive oil
Grated grana padano cheese
Place pot of water on high heat, season with salt and bring to a rolling boil. Whilst the water comes to a boil, prep the garlic, shallot and tomatoes. Once water is boiling add in the spaghetti and cook to just off al dente. When spaghetti is nearly done, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
Whilst spaghetti is cooking, place deep pan on medium heat with olive oil and allow oil to heat up a little bit. Add in the whole garlic cloves and let them sizzle in the oil, for a minute, or until they begin to colour. This is achieved by angling the pan to allow the garlic to sizzle in the pool of oil.
Once garlic is removed from pan, lower temperature and add in the shallot with salt and saute for 3 minutes. Add chilli flakes and saute for another minute. Add the tomatoes and garlic back into the pan and raise heat to medium high and allow everything to cook down for 4 minutes. Add in the 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water, along with the whole stalks of basil, salt to taste,a few cracks black pepper and allow to simmer for 20-25 minutes.
During cook, once garlic cloves have softened, squish down with wooden spoon and mix through sauce. After simmering, remove the basil stalks, add in the cooked spaghetti and mix through over low heat for a minute before serving up with extra virgin olive oil drizzled over and grated grana padano.