Homemade Pasta Pomodoro

Homemade Pasta Pomodoro is an incredibly fresh pasta dish that is made with diced tomatoes, herbs, and either homemade or store-bought pasta.

Summers call for all things fresh tasting and there is nothing quite like eating from a garden or farmers’ market. Certainly, summer’s charm is found in the abundance of such things.

The sight of red ripened tomatoes on the vine, ready to be plucked and made into something special, puts a smile on my face. It is the moment when you can make sense of all the hard work that went into growing them. Summer harvest. A time to savor their flavors as best you can.

For us, there are only two ways we do this. With this Easy Bruschetta Recipe and Homemade Pasta Pomodoro. Both seem to celebrate and even highlight the tomato as they are the star ingredient being used at its freshest form.

Depending on the time you have in the kitchen, this Homemade Pasta Pomodoro can be made with store-bought spaghetti pasta or by making fresh pasta.

Hint, whenever possible, make the pasta.

Homemade Pasta Pomodoro Is…

• Fresh and light
• Flavorful and satisfying
• Uses whole ingredients
• Can be made with store-bought or fresh pasta
• Delicious served warm or at room temperature
• The perfect fresh pasta dish to serve for gatherings
• A satisfying, crowd-pleasing pasta
• Affordable to make

Ingredients

Pasta- I use fresh when I can. If you have never made homemade pasta, you are in for a treat! But be warned, it could ruin standard dried pasta for you. If using dried opt for a longer pasta like spaghetti or linguini.

Tomatoes- Using fresh tomatoes is best as this dish is all about fresh flavors. The best tomatoes for sauces are San Marzano, and Saucy Lady if you can find them. But Romas or even 1lb of cherry tomatoes work great as well.

Herbs & Spices- This recipe is light and fresh. To enhance the tomatoes we will be using sea salt, fresh basil, and garlic cloves. I would suggest using cloves of garlic over pre-minced and using fresh basil over dried herbs.

Anchovies- Don’t be intimidated by anchovies! Anchovies create a savory element that elevates this dish. The anchovies melt into the oil as they cook and provide a delicious umami flavoring throughout the dish.

Oil- Using pure olive oil but extra virgin works fine as well.

Cheese- To garnish this dish a fresh shaving of parmesan gives a nice salty added touch.

What You Will Need To Make It

1 lb fresh pasta or dried spaghetti pasta

4 cups chopped tomatoes (about 4 large tomatoes)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup of pasta water

2 garlic cloves

3 anchovy filets

1 bundle of basil

1 tsp sea salt

parmesan to garnish

Tools

Large Pan

Pasta Maker (if making fresh)

Directions

Start by dicing the tomatoes and finely chopping the garlic cloves. Set them aside. For the pasta, heat a large pot of water and bring it to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions or use homemade pasta.

Set aside 1/3 cup of the pasta water before straining.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and anchovies. Allow them to cook for just a few seconds until the anchovies begin to melt. Be careful not to but the garlic.

Add the tomatoes along with the salt. Allow them to cook until they begin breaking down (about 3 minutes-4 minutes). Roughly chop the basil and add half of it to the cooking tomatoes.

Allow them to finish cooking until they have broken down (as shown).

Strain the pasta and add it directly to the skillet. Toss the pasta into the tomato mixture.

Add the pasta water as needed. Transfer to a serving platter, top with the remaining basil and a generous amount of fresh parmesan.

Cooking Notes

• The best tomatoes for Pomodoro are San Martzanos, Saucy Lady, or Roma tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes have a great flavor and work well, you will use 1 lb for this sauce.
• The garlic and anchovies should not be cooked for more than 30 seconds as the garlic will begin to burn.
• You can substitute anchovy paste for the anchovy filets. It is about 1/2 tsp per filet.
• If you make fresh pasta for this recipe, I would suggest making and cutting the pasta first and then starting the sauce so you can boil them alongside and toss the pasta into the skillet per recipe instructions.

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