This easy pomodoro pasta recipe is the quickest and most delicious dinner you will ever make. With super basic ingredients and 20 minutes you will have a fantastic and filling pasta dish that will blow your mind. This vegan pasta recipe really shines when the Summertime garden tomatoes and basil are abundant. Pair this pasta with a fresh tossed green salad for a light and tasty meal.
Why this is the best pomodoro recipe
This easy Pomodoro pasta has so much going for it. The recipe has a very short ingredient list, it's ready in 20 minutes and it tastes fantastic. Plus it is a budget-friendly meal that the whole family will love! This restaurant quality dish is incredibly easy to execute. Even a beginner cook will succeed in cooking this pasta dinner. The flavor palette is exceptionally. Cooking the garlic until it is golden and fragrant brings out a depth of flavor that is unforgettable. Using fresh tomatoes gives this an intense flavor burst. You will never want to use canned again!
What is pomodoro?
Pomodoro is the word for tomato in Italian. Simply put, pomodoro sauce is tomato sauce. It is a vegan and gluten free sauce. It is difficult to tell the difference between Pomodoro and Marinara since they have similar ingredients but Pomodoro is usually thicker. I like my Pomodoro chunkier and more rustic so I use garden fresh tomatoes rather than canned. Plus the garden fresh tomatoes have so much flavor!
Ingredients for easy pomodoro pasta
The ingredients are simple, fresh and vegan. This sauce is perfect for summer when the garden fresh tomatoes and herbs are really cranking! This plant-based pasta meal is one that utilizes pantry staples and comes with a really small price-tag.
- Pasta: Pasta is the base for this recipe. Spaghetti and Linguine are my first choice. Another option would be fettuccine or angel hair. Long pasta shapes are best.
- Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes and roma tomatoes work well for this fresh tomato sauce. Compari and heirloom tomatoes are delicious options as well. Use whatever kind you have available.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Like most of my recipes, this one starts with a quality extra virgin olive oil to start the sauce.
- Garlic: This recipe uses fresh garlic. It really gives the sauce a delicious depth of flavor that is unmatched. Using jarred garlic or garlic powder will not produce the same flavor.
- Basil: Fresh basil really shines in this pasta Pomodoro. The flavor of garden fresh basil is intense, and herbal and goes so well with the garlic and tomato.
- Crushed red pepper: Crushed red pepper flakes give the sauce a hint of heat. They are optional but highly encouraged.
How to make pomodoro pasta
This recipe is so simple that my 10 year old could make it! It's also one of the quickest and cheapest recipes you can make for a weeknight meal al fresco!
- Cook the pasta: For timing purposes, put on water to boil for pasta and cook it in the background.
- Make the Sauce: In a sauté pan over medium heat, heat the oil and add garlic, cook until fragrant and starting to turn golden about 3 minutes. Here is where you will add the optional red pepper flakes as well. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook stirring occasionally at a simmer until the tomatoes release their juices and get saucy about 10 minutes.
- Mix in the pasta:Toss the cooked pasta in the sauce and garnish with basil and red pepper flakes.
- Enjoy your dinner! Serve with salad!
Tips for making the best pomodoro
- Fresh garlic is always tastier and more pungent than jarred minced garlic. Once chopped, always let garlic rest for 5 minutes before using to let its flavor and medicinal qualities "bloom".
- A combination of different types of tomatoes produce a sauce with more flavor depth. That is why I always chose a smaller cherry type tomato and a larger fruit like Roma or compari. Also, salting and adding pepper to the tomatoes directly always makes the flavor really pop.
- This pasta will last for 3 days if properly stored in the refrigerator. Simply microwave to reheat or add a little water and reheat in a sauté pan.
Other delicious vegan pasta recipes
Pomodoro Pasta
Ingredients
- 16 oz pasta
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes chopped
- 3 roma tomatoes chopped
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 6 basil leaves chopped
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper optional
Instructions
- Put on water to boil for pasta and cook in the background.
- In a sauté pan over medium heat the oil and add garlic, cook until fragrant and starting to turn golden about 3 minutes. Add optional crushed red pepper here as well to toast and infuse the oil with heat.
- Add tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook stirring occasionally at a simmer until the tomatoes release their juices and get saucy about 10 minutes.
- Toss the cooked pasta in sauce and garnish with basil and red pepper flakes.
- Serve with salad!
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