There’s nothing quite like homemade pomodoro sauce made with fresh Roma tomatoes, lots of basil, plenty of garlic, and just a hint of crushed red pepper.
Just a few simple ingredients create the most flavorful, homemade pomodoro sauce that you’ll want all summer long.
I love homemade pomodoro sauce because it’s such a good lesson that sometimes less is truly more. You don’t need many ingredients for a simple pomodoro sauce, and that’s really the beauty of it.
While pomodoro sauce and marinara share many of the same ingredients, usually, marinara is left to be chunky while pomodoro is blended until smooth.
What tomatoes to use with pomodoro sauce
You can use fresh or canned tomatoes, but I prefer to make pomodoro sauce with fresh tomatoes. Choose a tomato with a lower water content, such as Roma or plum tomatoes. If you can find fresh San Marzano tomatoes, those are even better!
How to make pomodoro sauce
What you need
You don’t need many ingredients at all for this recipe.
- Tomatoes: I use about 4 pounds of fresh Roma tomatoes. Once you boil and peel them, it’ll be equivalent to about two 28-ounce cans of whole peeled tomatoes. I also add a bit of tomato paste to help thicken the sauce as it cooks.
- Aromatics: I keep it simple with shallot, garlic, basil, and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Parmigiano Reggiano: I finish the sauce with freshly grated cheese to give it a nice salty, creamy finish. You can skip that and just finish with the cheese on top, but I love adding it straight to the sauce before I add the pasta.
What pasta to serve with pomodoro sauce
While almost any pasta will work with pomodoro sauce, the rule of thumb is to use a longer pasta shape as it’s a bit of a lighter sauce that coats the long strands of pasta well. A few ideas:
- Bucatini: This is my favorite for pomodoro sauce!
- Spaghetti, linguine, tagliatelle, or angel hair: These long strands of pasta work so well with pomodoro sauce!
- Rigatoni: While I love rigatoni with thicker sauces, it works well with pomodoro too.
- Gnocchi: One of our favorite dishes from our local Italian restaurants is gnocchi with pomodoro sauce; it’s so delicious!
These are just suggestions, so feel free to use your favorite pasta variety here!
How to make it
- Step 1: Boil the tomatoes. If using fresh tomatoes, you’ll need to blanch and peel them first to avoid having tomato skins in your sauce. Boil them briefly, transfer them to an ice bath, then simply pluck off the skins and remove the cores.
- Step 2: Fry the aromatics in olive oil. Start with the shallot and garlic, then add the basil and crushed red pepper, then add the tomato paste. Allow the paste to sizzle for a minute or two to deepen in color and flavor.
- Step 3: Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes to 1 hour. You can also let it simmer, covered, for several hours if you like. I usually start my pomodoro sauce early in the day and let it cook over the stove for 3 to 4 hours because I like the more intense flavor. Mash the tomatoes periodically as they cook.
- Step 4: Blend the sauce. Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until smooth.
- Step 5: Add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano. At this point, you can allow the sauce to cool completely and freeze it or you can toss it with cooked pasta and serve immediately.
You’re ready to serve it! Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl and then serve in shallow bowls. Aren’t these tomato bowls from Anthropologie so cute? From there, you can finish with more grated Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh basil.
Homemade Pomodoro Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 pounds Roma tomatoes (or use two 28-ounce cans of whole peeld tomatoes; see Note 1)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot (peeled and roughly chopped)
- 1 head garlic (peeled and crushed; 12 to 14 cloves total)
- 1 cup basil (loosely packed)
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (plus more to taste)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 ounce Parmigiano Reggiano (finely grated; plus more for serving)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- 16 ounces bucatini (or use spaghetti, linguine, or your favorite pasta shape)
- Black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
Blanch the Roma tomatoes:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the skins split. Use a spider strainer to transfer the tomatoes to a large ice bath. Let stand until cool enough to handle.
Peel the tomatoes:
- Peel and core the tomatoes and transfer to a bowl.
Make the sauce:
- Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large pot. Once hot, add the shallot and garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the basil and crushed red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add the tomato paste and stir to coat the aromatics. Let the paste sizzle in the pan for 1 to 2 minutes until it deepens in color.
Simmer the sauce:
- Add the peeled Roma tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Alternatively, you can cover the sauce and simmer for 3 to 4 hours for a more intense flavor. Periodically mash the tomatoes as they simmer.
Finish the sauce:
- Remove the lid and use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until smooth. Add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
Cook the pasta:
- As the sauce finishes simmering, cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining the pasta.
Sauce the pasta:
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce along with the pasta water. Simmer, stirring often, until well-coated. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your preferences.
To serve:
- Divide the pasta between shallow bowls and finish with more Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh basil on top, if desired. Enjoy!
WOW!! she’s gorgeous!
Thank you!!