Tomato Saucery hero image

Tomato Saucery

Simple Pasta with a Pantry-Only Tomato Sauce

35 minutes
Serves 4
DinnerItalian
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

  1. 01
    Bring 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.
  2. 02
    While 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.
  3. 03
    Stir 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.
  4. 04
    Taste the sauce and adjust with salt and more pepper if needed.
  5. 05
    Add the drained pasta to the sauce. Toss together, adding reserved pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce clings to the noodles.
  6. 06
    Serve immediately, garnished with an extra pinch of oregano or black pepper if desired.

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