Italian Pasta with Tomato Sauce (Printable)

Tender pasta in a rich tomato sauce with aromatic herbs, 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 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 basil. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens.
04 - Toss the drained pasta with the tomato sauce, adding a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce and coat the noodles evenly.
05 - Serve hot, topped with grated Parmesan and fresh basil leaves.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together with pantry staples you probably already have on a random Tuesday night.
  • It tastes like something from a neighborhood trattoria but takes barely half an hour from start to finish.
02 -
  • Reserving the pasta water is not optional because that starchy liquid is what makes the sauce silky instead of watery.
  • Underseasoning the pasta water is the single biggest mistake home cooks make and no amount of sauce can fix bland noodles.
03 -
  • Finish the pasta in the sauce for the last thirty seconds of cooking rather than combining them after, because the noodles absorb flavor right at the end.
  • A knob of cold butter stirred in at the very end creates an emulsion that makes the sauce impossibly smooth and restaurant quality.

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