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Pasta al Pomodoro is by far one of the easiest pastas to make, and yet it is often the most poorly done. With soggy noodles and a watery sauce that’s either too tart or just pain flavorless I tend to stay away from this dish when it shows up on restaurant menus.

As the name would imply the key ingredient in this dish is tomatoes, so it’s best made towards the end of summer when the sun-ripened tomatoes are bursting with sugar.

I also like to think of this dish more as a tomato stir-fry than a pasta sauce. You want to add the tomatoes to a hot pan with lots of oil, so the sugars in the tomatoes quickly caramelize creating a thick sauce that still tastes like fresh tomatoes.

I always add the drained pasta to the sauce so that each strand is evenly coated, but this also means that the pasta is going to cook a little more after it’s been boiled. That’s why it’s important to cook the pasta al dente (usually about a minute less than what the package says).

Pasta al Pomodoro

Find out how this easy pasta is often the most poorly done and enjoy this recipe for a sure-fire win. See the full post at the Fresh Tastes blog.

Ingredients

• 12-16 ounces pasta, boiled according to package directions
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 medium cloves of garlic smashed and roughly chopped
• 4 large vine ripened tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1-2 teaspoons salt
• basil leaves, julienned

Directions

1. The sauce should take about 5 minutes to cook, so time your pasta accordingly. Use the boiling water for the pasta to parboil the tomatoes for about 30 seconds to make them easy to peel.
2. Add the oil and garlic to a large frying pan and heat over high heat. Fry until the garlic is fragrant, but don’t let it brown. Add the tomatoes and sauté until the liquid left in the pan isn’t watery anymore. Add salt to taste.
3. When the pasta is done, drain and add it to the frying pan along with the basil. Toss to coat and serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings