Reinventing pasta: Fresh tomatoes and endless variations
Pasta with tomato sauce is perhaps the most straightforward and most delightful dish in the world. With just a few basic ingredients, you can whip up a delicious dinner that will perfectly suit the whole family's tastes. Moreover, the recipe can serve as a base for endless modifications, allowing you to surprise your loved ones with a new version of their favourite pasta each time.
When in season, preparing the sauce using fresh tomatoes is worthwhile. Opt for sweet varieties with a lot of flesh, such as plum or beefsteak tomatoes. Before tossing them into the pan, peel off the skin. To make this easier, blanch them in boiling water or pop them into the microwave for a short time. Remove the seeds and cut the tomatoes into cubes.
A long list of additions to pasta with tomatoes
If you'd like the pasta with tomatoes to become a base for other, more sophisticated dishes, you have plenty of options. There is likely no ingredient that wouldn't pair well with this simple Italian sauce. If you enjoy spicy dishes, add fried bacon and chilli peppers—this way, you'll achieve pasta all arrabbiata.
Olives and capers are also popular additions. If you combine them with anchovies, you'll create puttanesca. However, you don't need to limit yourself to Italian classics. Fried sausage, such as chorizo or chicken pieces, also pairs well with tomatoes. You can try a version with grilled vegetables like zucchini or eggplant, or with the addition of tofu.
Recipe for pasta with tomatoes
You can use any pasta for the fresh tomato sauce—spaghetti, penne, tagliatelle, or farfalle. I encourage experimenting with whole-grain or buckwheat pasta.
Ingredients:
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 large or four small peeled tomatoes
- spaghetti pasta
- 2 teaspoons of olive oil
- a pinch of salt and pepper
- fresh basil or dried Provençal herbs
Directions:
- Heat the olive oil in a pan and sauté the finely chopped onion until translucent.
- After a moment, add thinly sliced garlic and diced tomatoes (peeled).
- Cover with a lid and cook on low heat until the sauce thickens.
- Then pour the contents of the pan into a blender and blend until smooth.
- Transfer the sauce to the pan, add salt, pepper, and the chosen herbs.
- Serve with pasta cooked according to the instructions on the package.
You can additionally sprinkle the pasta with grated Parmesan or mix it with small mozzarella balls.
