Yes, it is a good way to use up surplus tomatoes from your own garden. But it’s also a great way to whip up a healthy, vegetarian/vegan supper when time and ingredients are slim. All you need aside from the usual peripherals are pasta and tomatoes!
Beautiful Pasta Pomodoro: Full of chunky tomatoes, basil and garlic…
Pasta Pomodoro’s recipe is as simple as its name. It simply means ‘Pasta with Tomatoes’. But it turns into a cherished classic with the addition of onions, garlic, fresh basil, grated parmesan and, of course, olive oil…
In your sleep
Make this dish a couple of times, and you’ll be able to whip it up in under 10 minutes, almost in your sleep! It’s the perfect answer to your suppertime cravings when time and other ingredients are slim…
What you need
The reference recipe for today’s featured dish calls for all the items mentioned above plus salt and pepper, and a pinch of crushed rep pepper flakes (if desired). I always add a good pinch of sugar, to round off the acid edges of the tomatoes…
What you do
Prepare the pasta the way you normally do, reserving a cup of the starchy water at the end to enrich the sauce.
Sauté the onions and garlic in a high-sided fry pan. Then add the tomatoes to melt down a bit. I use canned tomatoes out of season. They’re just as good in this dish as fresh. Make sure they’re Romas… Cut the tomatoes up in 2 cm / 1/2 in chunks
After ab0ut 5 minutes, add the pepper flakes and seasonings and reduce to simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes.
Just before serving, add the drained pasta and about 1/4 cup / 65 ml of the reserved pasta water. Toss with the sauce and let come back up to simmering temperature. Add more pasta water a little at a time, if needed, to produce a sauce of the desired thickness.
Serve in a wide-brimmed soup bowl, topped with Parmesan and shredded fresh basil, with some crusty bread on the side to sop up the sauce… You might also want a small tossed salad to balance out the meal a bit.
My take
It takes no longer to make Pasta Pomodoro than it does to read this post! That’s amazing, isn’t it? I’ve even had this for breakfast…
As I said off the top, this is a great, quick and easy vegetarian/vegan supper. But you can make it more carnivore-appropriate simply by adding some leftover pre-cooked chicken, julienned deli ham, or your choice of medium-diced Italian cold cuts…
~ Maggie J.