Fresh. Simple. Totally delicious. This Linguine Pasta Pomodoro recipe will be your new family favorite. It uses only fresh ingredients and is ready in 30 minutes!
What is Pasta Pomodoro?
"Pomodoro" is Italian for tomato. So, Pasta Pomodoro is pasta with tomato sauce. For this recipe, we used fresh tomatoes, cooking them with olive oil and herbs. The result is a "chunky" fresh sauce that absorbs beautifully into linguine pasta. Like our Linguine with Clams or Pappardelle Pasta, this dish is an easy weeknight meal with bold flavor.
Serve It With: Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad, Rosemary & Olive Oil Focaccia, or Burrata Toast and a bottle of Simple Grape Pinot Noir.
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Ingredients
- LINGUINE: we like linguine because it absorbs this sauce best. You can also use tagliatelle, angel hair pasta or spaghetti.
- CHERRY TOMATOES: fresh cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or small Roma tomatoes work best
- SHALLOTS: diced shallots
- GARLIC: fresh garlic cloves, chopped (minced)
- RED PEPPER FLAKES: (optional)
- CRACKED BLACK PEPPER: fresh ground black pepper
- SALT: sea salt or kosher salt
- OLIVE OIL: use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can afford
- BUTTER: we like salted butter for this recipe
- FRESH BASIL LEAVES: fresh basil works best
- PARMESAN CHEESE: fresh grated parmesan cheese (buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself).
*see recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Heat Sauté Pan: Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat.
- Add Tomatoes and Spices: Add olive oil, shallot, garlic, red pepper flakes, black pepper and tomatoes.
- Cook Pasta: Cook pasta according to package directions. When done reserve ½ C pasta water.
- Smash Tomatoes: While pasta is cooking, use a fork and as tomatoes start to soften, slowly smash them being careful not to get “squirted” by the tomatoes.
- Add Cooked Pasta: Continue to cook until pasta is done. Add the drained pasta to the sauté pan and reduce heat to medium low, stirring occasionally for 4-5 minutes.
- Add Butter and Basil: Add butter and turn heat off. Tear the basil leaves and add to pasta.
- Serve: Dish out and top with fresh Parmesan cheese.
Top tip
Fresh, quality ingredients make the best Pomodoro Sauce. Use fresh, locally grown tomatoes if possible, and the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can afford. Good quality Italian Parmigiano Reggiano also adds depth of flavor.
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Wine Pairing
We've partnered with our friends at The Simple Grape to create this easy-to-make pasta recipe that pairs perfectly with their Pinot Noir. Just like the recipe, this California wine line uses only the finest, local ingredients to produce a "better for you" wine with a simple philosophy: nothing added, nothing taken away. Simple Grape wines are low in sugar and carbs, all natural, gluten-free, and vegan, while retaining full alcohol.
Variations
- Spice: add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes
- Acid: add a splash of balsamic vinegar
- Protein: add grilled chicken, grilled shrimp, or grilled steak
This post is sponsored by our friends at The Simple Grape. All opinions are our own.
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in a sauté pan over medium heat, adding olive oil if necessary.
- Make ahead: sauce can be made ahead of time and refrigerated.
FAQ
We love the texture and thickness of linguine pasta for this recipe. It absorbs the flavors of the sauce very well to create the perfect "al dente" bite. If you don't have linguine on hand, you can also use spaghetti, fettuccine, or angel hair pasta.
Yes! While we prefer fresh tomatoes for this recipe, you can substitute a 28 ounce can of San Marzano tomatoes in a pinch.
We love cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes because they cook up fast with optimum flavor. Roma tomatoes and heirloom tomatoes also work for this recipe.
es, you can add protein to Pasta Pomodoro. Grilled chicken, shrimp, or a plant-based protein work well. Simply cook the protein separately and mix it into the pasta before serving.
Make sauce a day ahead of time and refrigerate it in an airtight container. When you are ready to serve, heat the sauce in a sauté pan, then add pasta.
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Pasta Pomodoro recipe
Fresh. Simple. Totally delicious. This Linguine Pasta Pomodoro recipe will be your new family favorite. It only takes 30 minutes!
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 portions 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound linguine
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- ¼ C diced shallots
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes ( optional)
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ C olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 10-12 fresh basil leaves
- parmesan cheese to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat.
- Add olive oil, shallot, garlic, red pepper flakes, black pepper and tomatoes.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. When done reserve ½ C pasta water.
- While pasta is cooking, use a fork and as tomatoes start to soften, slowly smash them being careful not to get “squirted” by the tomatoes.
- Continue to cook until pasta is done. Add the drained pasta to the sauté pan and reduce heat to medium low, stirring occasionally for 4-5 minutes.
- Add butter and turn heat off. Tear the basil leaves and add to pasta.
- Dish out and top with fresh Parmesan cheese.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: pasta
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 oz
- Calories: 691
- Sugar: 7.1 g
- Sodium: 618.4 mg
- Fat: 29.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 92 g
- Protein: 16.9 g
- Cholesterol: 16.2 mg
Jackie says
We eat this pasta on repeat, especially in the summer when tomatoes are fresh. It's so easy to make and so totally delicious.