Pomodoro Sauce: Star of the dish
Pomodoro sauce is the star of the dish. To make it, you need to heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Then onions are to be added. Give them a stir for 10 minutes until the onions are soft. Then, add garlic and red pepper flakes. Then, add pureed tomatoes and salt. The Pomodoro sauce for Pasta Pomodoro is ready.
It is simple and light. It can be used as a base in dishes like Layered Lasagnas, zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, pizza, and gnocchi. It is a fresh sauce. It is not a heavy sauce that requires longer time for cooking.
Pomodoro sauce has health benefits. This is because it is essentially a tomato sauce. It is a rich source of Vitamins. It improves heart health. It makes your bones stronger.
You can use fire-roasted tomatoes. These will give extra flavor. Onion and fresh garlic provide aromatic base to the recipe. Olive oil gives the necessary richness and velvety texture. Red pepper flakes give the spiciness in the dish. You should use fresh basil as it adds brightness to the dish. It adds more color to the dish.
Pomodoro sauce is not spicy typically. There are mild ingredients in it. You can make it spicier with more red pepper flakes.
There is a difference between Pomodoro and Marinara sauce. Pomodoro sauce is smoother with a thick consistency. Marinara sauce is chunkier with a not so thick consistency. It is liquidy. Pomodoro sauce has finely diced tomatoes and crushed tomatoes. These give it a thick and creamy texture. In some sauces like Bolognese sauce, tomatoes are cut into larger chunks. Pomodoro sauce can have variations like adding fresh herbs and spices like oregano. Marinara sauce is also known as red sauce. It also has tomatoes as the base ingredient. There are complementary ingredients like oregano, garlic, basil, olive oil, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste. Marinara sauce is used as a dip for breadsticks. In Naples, Marinara is also a style of pizza. Pomodoro sauce doesn’t require a long simmering time. Marinara sauce cooks longer.
Pomodoro sauce is different from Arrabiata sauce. Pomodoro sauce is milder whereas Arrabiata sauce is spicier.
Some key steps in Pasta Pomodoro
Firstly, you need to make Pomodoro sauce. For this, you need to puree the tomatoes. Then, add olive oil in a large skillet. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. After this, add onions. Then add garlic and red pepper flakes. Then add pureed tomatoes. Then add salt. Then stir the sauce and make it thick. For the pasta, take a large pot of water and boil it with salt. Reserve half cup pasta water for using later. Then put pasta and sauce together. Add pasta water. Add butter and Parmesan cheese. Let them melt. Garnish with basil and Parmesan cheese.
Tips and Tricks
The most important thing is to use quality ingredients. This will yield a great dish. You can use canned tomatoes. These give the best flavor for the tomato sauce. You need to puree the tomatoes in a food processor. So, you do not have to wait for ripe summer tomatoes to make Pasta Pomodoro. You can use canned tomatoes.
You can use any of the pasta variety. But spaghetti is traditionally used in this dish. You can also use fettuccine, bucatini, or any other pasta variety. You can add a little crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce. Reserve half cup of pasta water. This should be added to the sauce. You can add a little butter to the pasta at the end. You need only two tablespoons of it. The butter enhances the texture of the pasta. Add a lot of basil and parmesan cheese. Using freshly grated parmesan cheese is the best for this dish. Pre-grated cheese should not be used as it doesn’t melt well.
You can make the sauce 2 days before also. You can reheat the sauce in a pan and toss other ingredients with it. The sauce can be frozen and kept for about 2 months. So, for this, you need to transfer in an airtight container.
If you are using fresh tomatoes in the recipe, then you should peel them. For this, blanch them in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes. Then, immerse them into ice water. The peels come off easily.
Pasta Pomodoro should be eaten fresh. You can reheat in a skillet with minimal oil and warm it.
Complementary dishes with Pasta Pomodoro
You can serve a simple green salad with it. You can have garlic bread with it. Pasta Pomodoro tastes better with along with these dishes.
Versions of Pasta Pomodoro
Pasta Pomodoro is delicious. But you can always customize it to add more flavor. You can add sautéed veggies like mushrooms, zucchini, or eggplant. You can add a layer of shredded mozzarella on the pasta. Then, you can place it under the broiler for some time so that cheese melts.
Conclusion
So, Pasta Pomodoro is a quick and easy recipe. It doesn’t require much efforts. It is healthy. The star of the dish is the Pomodoro sauce. It is made using garlic, olive oil, basil, and parmesan cheese. You can serve Pasta Pomodoro with garlic bread and green salad. You can customize the Pasta Pomodoro too. You can add sautéed veggies. You can add shredded cheese like mozzarella cheese. Using good quality ingredients is the key.
By Bhawna
