Pasta with Tomatoes
It took only a couple of decades, and the word “pasta” became as familiar to us as “political briefing” once was. Making a dish as simple as pasta with tomatoes is within reach of even a schoolchild.
When I was little, our pasta was limited to vermicelli, elbows and shells. There were regular macaroni too, but nobody knew how to cook them, apart from navy-style macaroni, and nobody tried. Well, except sprinkling them with cheese.
If you have a well-made pasta for breakfast, you will stay full for a long time. Penne with tomato sauce is a perfect breakfast dish.
Pasta is the general name for noodle products made from both dried and fresh dough, and also a dish of Italian cuisine. In our part of the world the word “pasta” is rarely used. The common word “macaroni” replaces it completely, although strictly it refers only to tubular shapes. The classification of Italian pasta is very broad. Pasta is distinguished by the dough composition, size, method of production and shape.
For example, Ukrainian pasta is halushky dumplings. In the Poltava region there is even a monument to the halushka. And it is not a fact that Marco Polo brought pasta to Italy from China in 1295. Perhaps the chumaks got there much earlier. So it is not all down to Italy.
Ingredients
2 servings
- Pasta (penne or fusilli) 250 g
- Water for cooking the pasta 2–3 l
- Salt for the pasta water 7 g per 1 l of water
- Tomatoes, large 2-3
- Cherry tomatoes 5-6
- Green basil 1 sprig (plus sprigs for garnish)
- Garlic 1 clove
- Olive oil 2 tbsp
- Sugar 0.5 tsp
(2 g) - Ground nutmeg a pinch
- Salt, ground black pepper to taste
Step-by-step recipe
Preparation
Put 2-3 l of water for the pasta on to boil in a large pot over high heat. Salt the water at 7 g of salt per 1 liter.
Scald the large tomatoes: cover them with boiling water for 1 min.
Remove the skin, seeds and the green core.
Peel the garlic. Tear 3-4 large leaves from a sprig of basil.
Blend the tomatoes, garlic and basil leaves to a puree.
Tomato sauce
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the tomato puree.
Season with salt and pepper, add a pinch of ground nutmeg and 0.5 tsp of sugar (2 g).
Cover and simmer the puree over medium heat for 10 mins, stirring occasionally.
Remove the lid, turn up the heat and evaporate the excess moisture. The sauce should be thick enough that it does not run across the bottom of the pan.
Pasta
It is better to take a short pasta with a ridged surface, as it holds the sauce better. Penne or fusilli is perfect.
While the sauce is cooking, drop the pasta into the boiling salted water and cook until al dente, following the time on the package.
Drain the pasta in a colander.
Combine the cooked pasta with the tomato sauce and mix well.
Cherry tomatoes, basil and serving
Cut the cherry tomatoes into 2-4 pieces, depending on size, and add them to the pasta.
Pick the leaves off the remaining basil. Tear large leaves into pieces by hand and use small ones whole.
Mix the pasta with the cut cherry tomatoes and basil.
Divide the pasta among plates. Garnish with a sprig of basil. Penne with tomatoes looks very festive.
Serve while the dish is hot.
Calories and macros
640 kcal
Serving ≈ 440 g
- Protein19 g12% of kcal
- Fat16 g24% of kcal
- Carbs98 g64% of kcal
100 g147 kcalProtein 4.3 gFat 3.7 gCarbs 22.5 g
Calculated from the recipe ingredients, excluding salt and spices. Data: USDA and Matvaretabellen.
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