Classic Pasta with Tomato Sauce (Printable Version)
Tender noodles in a rich, aromatic tomato sauce with herbs and Parmesan. Ready in 30 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 14 oz dried pasta (spaghetti, penne, or your choice)
→ Tomato Sauce
02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
05 - 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
06 - 1 tsp sugar
07 - 1 tsp dried oregano
08 - 1 tsp dried basil
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
10 - 1 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
11 - Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
# Directions:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.
02 - While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 3 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in crushed tomatoes, sugar, oregano, and dried basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer uncovered for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
04 - Toss the drained pasta with the tomato sauce, adding a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce and help it coat the noodles evenly.
05 - Serve hot, topped with grated Parmesan and garnished with fresh basil leaves.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sauce comes together with pantry staples you probably already have, which means zero emergency grocery runs on a tired evening.
- It scales effortlessly from a quiet solo dinner to a table of four without changing a single thing about how you cook it.
02 -
- Reserving that pasta water is not optional because the starch in it is what makes the sauce cling to the noodles instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
- Under salt your sauce slightly before simmering because reduction will concentrate the saltiness more than you expect.
03 -
- Never rinse your pasta after draining because the surface starch is the invisible hand that helps sauce and noodle become one.
- If your canned tomatoes taste more acidic than usual, add sugar in tiny increments rather than all at once, tasting between additions.