Tomato Saucery
Simple Pasta with a Pantry-Only Tomato Sauce
35 minutes
Serves 4
DinnerItalianVegetarian
Herb's take
Italian cuisine excels at transforming humble ingredients into comforting classics. Here, you’ll coax maximum flavor from tomatoes using a bit of patience and a dash of science.
Ingredients
Yield
4
Instructions
- 01Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add a generous pinch of salt and the pasta. Cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- 02While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped tomatoes (with juices if canned) and bring to a simmer.
- 03Stir in the sugar, dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of black pepper. Simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the tomatoes break down.
- 04Taste the sauce and adjust with salt and more pepper if needed.
- 05Add the drained pasta to the sauce. Toss together, adding reserved pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce clings to the noodles.
- 06Serve immediately, garnished with an extra pinch of oregano or black pepper if desired.
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