Pasta al Pomodoro

By Eric Kim

Published Aug. 21, 2022

Pasta al Pomodoro
Chris Simpson for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Sophia Pappas.
Total Time
1 hour 10 minutes
Rating
4(1,618)
Comments
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Pomodoro, the Italian word for tomato, comes from pomo d’oro (“golden apple”), and also refers to this sauce. A good pomodoro leans into the inherently savory, umami-rich flavor of the tomatoes, so use the best ones you can find. Any combination of low-water, high-flavor tomatoes like plum, grape, cherry and Campari, cooked down to their purest essence, makes for the most vibrant result. Thin spaghetti works best here, as its airy bounciness catches the pulpy tomato sauce beautifully, but regular spaghetti would taste great, too. Add basil at the end, if you’d like, or a dusting of cheese, but a stalwart pasta al pomodoro made with peak-season tomatoes needs neither.

Featured in: Late Summer Tomatoes Are Perfect for Spaghetti al Pomodoro

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • ½cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4large garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled
  • 3pounds ripe tomatoes (any mix of plum, grape, cherry and Campari), coarsely chopped
  • Salt
  • 1pound thin spaghetti
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

728 calories; 29 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 20 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 100 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 12 grams sugars; 18 grams protein; 1129 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Add the olive oil and garlic to a large Dutch oven or high-sided skillet. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook the garlic, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly golden, and small rapid bubbles form around the cloves, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pot and discard (or eat).

  2. Step 2

    Carefully and gently lower the chopped tomatoes into the hot oil and cook, stirring constantly, until the tomatoes let off some liquid and the sauce starts to bubble steadily. Season generously with salt. Lower the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and the sauce reduces significantly, about 40 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Set a metal sieve, strainer or food mill over a medium bowl. Carefully pour in the tomato sauce. If using a sieve or strainer, push the sauce through with a spoon or flexible spatula, until all that remains are seeds and skins. Be sure to repeatedly scrape off the valuable pulp collecting on the bottom of the sieve (by holding the sieve down against the edge of the bowl and pulling it back). You should have about 2 cups of sauce in the bowl. Taste and add more salt, if needed, then return the sauce to the Dutch oven.

  4. Step 4

    Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce.

  5. Step 5

    Turn the heat to high and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce reduces slightly and the pasta is well coated but not drowned in the sauce, about 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit so the pasta can absorb the sauce further, about 5 more minutes. Serve immediately.

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4 out of 5
1,618 user ratings
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Comments

Fred

I fully agree that cooking the pasta in the sauce enhances the final end result. however the times used here seem way off. If the sauce is still simmering or boiling (neccessary to reduce it as directed) the end result will be a soggy mess. Better to take it out 1-2 minutes before al dente and finalize it in the sauce until the desired consitency is reached

Elizabeth Minchilli

I agree that this is one of the most satisfying dishes to eat, when done right. I can so relate to your Como experience. But if you really want to recreate the true Italian way of doing it, here are a couple of things to keep in mind. Italians most use canned or bottled tomatoes, at their ripest, to make this sauce. They have less moisture, are perfectly ripe, and require WAY less cooking. Essential for the tomatoey taste. Also, no Italian would EVER let the pasta sit for 5 minutes. Ever.

Rocco

Perfectly good sauce recipe. But 2 minutes tossed in the sauce and 5 minutes sitting after cooking (?!) will give you gluey pasta, especially if a recommended "thin" variety is used.

jackie M

I undercooked my pasta by two minutes tossed it in the sauce and I actually put very little salt with the tomatoes. I love the sweetness of tomatoes with the punch of a bit of parm. And NO NEVER let pasta sit not where that recommendation came from. Not from Italy

Bill Hill

Everyone has their own ways. I was taught to cut out the crown of the tomato, give it a squeeze to remove most of the seeds and some of the liquid. As Mark Bittman recommends, we pulse them in a food processor then reduce. He skips our first step. We like the coarse texture and extra flavor.

Mark

Easier than dealing with a food mill or strainer: Briefly parboil your whole, unskinned tomatoes. Rinse or submerge in cold water. Remove the skins. Then chop the tomatoes and add to the hot oil.

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