Classic Pasta Tomato Sauce (Printable Version)
Authentic Italian pasta tossed in savory tomato sauce with herbs and Parmesan cheese.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 14 oz dried spaghetti or penne
02 - 1 tablespoon salt (for pasta water)
→ Sauce
03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
05 - 1 onion, finely diced
06 - 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
07 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
08 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
09 - ½ teaspoon sugar
10 - Salt and pepper, to taste
→ Finishing Touches
11 - 1.5 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese
12 - Handful fresh basil leaves
# How To Make It:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of starchy pasta water before draining through a colander.
02 - While the pasta cooks, warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion, sautéing until softened and translucent, approximately 5 minutes.
03 - Stir in the crushed tomatoes, dried oregano, dried basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to develop deep flavor.
04 - Transfer the drained pasta directly into the skillet with the sauce. Toss thoroughly, adding splashes of the reserved pasta water as needed to reach your preferred consistency.
05 - Serve immediately while hot, finished with a generous shower of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and torn basil leaves.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- It tastes like it simmered all day but honestly comes together in under thirty minutes, which feels like a small miracle on a Tuesday.
- The sauce freezes beautifully, so I always make a double batch and stash portions away for nights when cooking feels impossible.
02 -
- If you add the garlic to cold oil it will burn before the onion is ready, so always heat the oil first and slide the garlic in once it shimmers.
- That reserved pasta water is liquid gold and the single thing that transforms a plate of slippery noodles into something silky and cohesive.
03 -
- Never add oil to your pasta water because it creates a slick coating that prevents the sauce from clinging to the pasta properly.
- Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce for the final minute rather than just tossing them together, and this is the restaurant secret that changes everything.