Spaghetti al Pomodoro (Authentic Italian in 30 Minutes)

Here's how to make authentic Spaghetti al Pomodoro, a classic Italian staple which is basically pasta with tomato sauce. Ready in less than 30 minutes and loved by everyone!

📝 Ingredients

• 11 oz / 300g ripe tomatoes - I've used a mix of roma and grape tomatoes. Canned is great too (see notes below)
• 6.5 oz / 180g spaghetti pasta
• 1 large garlic clove
• Handful fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese - optional
• Salt and black pepper to taste

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Slice the grape tomatoes into halves and Roma tomatoes into quarters
2. 2Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the garlic clove - I prefer to leave it whole so it doesn't burn
3. 3Once the garlic has turned light brown, add in the chopped tomatoes and season with a good pinch of salt and light pinch of pepper
4. 4Saute for a few minutes then add a ladle of water, tear in the basil leaves, turn the heat to low and simmer with the lid on
5. 5After 15 minutes, remove the lid and turn off the heat. Give it a stir and squish out the tomato juices with the back of a wooden spoon - they should be super soft and juicy. At the same time, boil the pasta in a large pot with salted water
6. 6Use an immersion blender to blend the tomatoes until smooth, you can also transfer to a blender if preferred
7. 7Once the pasta is cooked to al dente, add it straight to the skillet with a good splash of pasta water to finish cooking in the sauce. If using, add the parmesan cheese and gently stir through so the pasta is all coated in the tomato sauce and so the cheese melts - add more pasta water as needed to create a glossy sauce
8. 8Once ready to serve, drizzle the pasta with olive oil and serve up your delicious authentic Spaghetti al Pomodoro and garnish with fresh basil leaves and enjoy!