What is a simple tomato sauce?
Nowadays when you order pasta at a restaurant, it has so many ingredients, sometime all I want is a simple tomato sauce. All it requires, is garlic, salt, pepper, tomatoes and basil. This lets the tomatoes shine and the sauce is full of umami! Dont get me wrong, a heavy creamy sauce is also amazing but this holds a special place in my heart!
Key Components of a tomato sauce:
- Cherry tomatoes: The base of the sauce is made with this.
- Olive oil: When cooking italian, olive oil must be used.
- Basil: Adds freshness to the dish.
- Garlic: Adds depth to the sauce
- Tomato paste: Really packs a punch with the umami flavor.
You can use fresh pasta or dry pasta, the flavors will still be amazing!
How It’s Served:
This sauce is typically paired with pasta, any shape of pasta works but my personal favorite is fettuccine and spaghetti!
Jump to RecipeLets Make it: A simple tomato sauce pasta!
Link to watch the video: https://www.instagram.com/amateurprochef/
Fresh Homemade Pasta with Cherry Tomato Sauce
Who doesn’t love a hearty bowl of pasta? It’s comforting, flavorful, and oh-so-satisfying! Today, we’re diving into a recipe that combines silky homemade pasta with a simple yet irresistible cherry tomato sauce. Trust me—this dish will make you feel like an Italian chef in your own kitchen. Let’s get started!
Making the Magic Dough
The foundation of any great pasta dish starts with the dough. Making it from scratch is easier than you think! In a large bowl, crack a couple of eggs and add your flour. Mix everything together and start kneading with your hands until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. This part is a mini workout but totally worth it! Once your dough looks ready, wrap it up and let it rest for 10–15 minutes.
Feeling short on time? No worries—you can always swap the fresh pasta for dry pasta. Just cook it according to the package instructions, but here’s a pro tip: salt your water generously! Think ocean water levels. This step is crucial to flavor the pasta right from the start.
The Star of the Show: Cherry Tomato Sauce
While your dough takes a nap, let’s move on to the sauce. Start by slicing about 30–35 cherry tomatoes in half (yes, it’s a lot, but you’ll thank me later). Crush three garlic cloves and set them aside. Now, heat up half a cup of olive oil in a pan. Once it’s warm, toss in the garlic cloves and let them sizzle for about 30 seconds to a minute, just enough to release their aroma.
Turn up the heat and add the halved cherry tomatoes to the pan. Here’s the key: resist the urge to shake or stir the pan immediately. Let the tomatoes blister undisturbed for a good two minutes. This step gives the sauce a depth of flavor that’s worth every second. Once they’re beautifully blistered, go ahead and stir them gently.
Season and Simmer
Season the sauce with a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste. Don’t go overboard—start small and adjust as you go. Now for the game-changer: grab a handful of fresh basil leaves, tear them roughly with your hands (yes, we’re going rustic here), and toss them into the sauce. Let everything simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes. The aroma filling your kitchen? Heavenly.
Rolling, Cutting, and Cooking the Pasta
With your dough well-rested, it’s time to roll it out. You can use a pasta machine for perfectly thin sheets, or go old-school with a rolling pin. Once rolled, cut the dough into strips—fettuccine, tagliatelle, or whatever shape you fancy.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook your fresh pasta for just 2–3 minutes. Fresh pasta cooks way faster than the dried stuff, so keep an eye on it! Once done, transfer the pasta directly into the simmering sauce. Don’t drain it too thoroughly; a little pasta water helps the sauce cling to the noodles.
Time to Dig In
Toss the pasta in the sauce until every strand is coated in that glossy, garlicky tomato goodness. Serve it up, and don’t forget to garnish with extra basil or a sprinkle of Parmesan if you’re feeling indulgent.
And there you have it—a simple, delicious pasta dish that tastes like a vacation in Italy. Whether you’re impressing guests or treating yourself, this recipe is sure to be a hit. Mangia! 🍝
To check out my other recipes, click here!
Simple Tomato Sauce Pasta
Ingredients
- PASTA DOUGH
Eggs – 3
00 Flour – 300g
- SAUCE
Olive oil – 1/2 cup
Cherry Tomatoes – 30-35
Garlic cloves – 3
Tomato Paste – 2 tbsp
Salt – 1 pinch (add more if needed)
Black pepper – as much as your heart desires
Basil – 8-10 leaves
Directions
- Start by creating the dough. In a bowl add eggs, and the flour. Start mixing it up and keep kneading until it comes together and is smooth. Wrap up the dough and let sit for 10-15 minutes.
- You can substitute fresh pasta with dry pasta and cook it according to the package instructions. (Make sure to salt the water when cooking pasta, adds lots of salt)
- Next its time to prepare the sauce, cut up 30-35 cherry tomatoes in half length wise and crush 3 garlic cloves.
- In a pan heat up 1/2 cup of olive oil and add in the garlic cloves. Let that get fragrant, roughly 30 seconds to a minute.
- Crack the heat up and add in the tomatoes, once in do not shake the pan, let the tomatoes blister for 2 minutes then you can start mixing it up.
- Add in salt and black pepper to taste and start with 1 pinch of salt and add more as needed.
- Grab some basil, roughly tear it with you hands and add it in. Now let the sauce cook for about 10 minute son medium heat.
- For the pasta dough, roll it out with a pasta machine or by hand. Then cut it into strips with a knife or a pasta machine.
- Cook the fresh pasta for 2-3 minutes in boiling water (add salt to the boiling water) and then add into the sauce.
- Toss it around and now its time to ENJOY!
