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Spaghetti al Pomodoro Recipe
Spaghetti al Pomodoro is one of the signature pasta dishes of Italian cuisine.Spaghetti is by far the favorite pasta of Italians. While the sauce made with tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, garlic and basil encapsulates the basic flavors, aromas and colors of Italian and Mediterranean cuisine.
Ingredients
- 350 g spaghetti - ¾ pound
- 40 g extra virgin olive oil - 3 tablespoons
- 2 cloves garlic
- 800 g peeled tomatoes - 1 ¾ pounds, fresh or canned
- salt - to taste
- 5 fresh basil leaves
Instructions
The Tomato Sauce
- Sauté 2 cloves of garlic in 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil for a few minutes on a high heat. Then add 800 g (1 ¾ pounds) of peeled tomatoes.
- Season with salt, cover and cook on a low heat for 30-35 minutes. The sauce should simmer gently. Stir occasionally.
- After this time, remove the garlic. Place in a food mill and puree.
- Return the tomato sauce to the frying pan and reduce the heat to very low. Add the basil leaves. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time.
Cooking the Pasta
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook 350 g (¾ pound) of spaghetti al dente. Follow the directions on the package for cooking time. Generally, 6 to 10 minutes is enough for al dente cooking, depending on the thickness of the pasta. Drain the spaghetti using a slotted spoon.
- Add the pasta directly to the saucepan. Stir for a few moments, then serve the spaghetti al pomodoro immediately while hot. Garnish with a fresh basil leaf and some grated Parmigiano, if desired.
Notes
NOTE ON GARLIC: If you don't want the garlic flavor to be too intense, you can use only one clove. You can even cut it in half and remove the core. On the contrary, if you want a stronger garlic flavor, you can chop it.
CONSISTENCY: Food mills usually have 3 stainless steel grinding discs for preparing foods of fine, medium and coarse textures. I chose the disc with the larger holes for a coarser texture.
EXTRA COOKING: The extra cooking of the sauce will thicken the sauce a bit more, allowing the excess liquid to evaporate.
COOKING PASTA: Use 1 liter (4.2 cups) of water for every 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of pasta. The water should be salted to 1%, which is 10 grams (½ tablespoon) of coarse salt.
Nutrition
Calories: 451kcalCarbohydrates: 74gProtein: 13gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 16mgPotassium: 677mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1693IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 2mg
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