For the pasta and sauce
- 400 g spaghetti or linguine
- 500 g passata, or one 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
To finish (optional)
- 30 g butter
- 40 g Parmesan or pecorino, finely grated
Bring a large pan of well-salted water to the boil and cook the pasta until just shy of al dente. Reserve about 200 ml of the cooking water, then drain.
10–12 min
While the pasta cooks, warm the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir until it scents the oil and turns pale gold — not brown.
2 min
Add the passata or tinned tomatoes. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and tastes rounded rather than raw or tinny. Season with salt and pepper.
10–12 min
Add the drained pasta to the sauce with a splash of cooking water. Toss over medium heat until the sauce coats the strands and looks glossy, adding more water if needed.
2 min
Take the pan off the heat. Beat in the butter or cheese if using, adjust seasoning, and serve immediately.
1 min
Starch released from the pasta and dissolved in the reserved cooking water helps the sauce cling to each strand — a light emulsion with the olive oil, not a pool of liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Gentle simmering lets passata or tinned tomatoes lose their raw edge and concentrate without the harsh boil that can taste flat or tinny. Garlic should scent the oil, not burn; bitter garlic will fight the tomato for the whole dish. Finishing off the heat with a little butter or cheese is optional, but it rounds acidity and adds gloss without overcooking the dairy.
Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer while the pasta cooks — harsh boiling can make tinned tomatoes taste thin or metallic. Salt the pasta water generously; it is your main chance to season the noodles themselves. If the sauce tightens before the pasta is ready, loosen with splashes of cooking water, not more oil. Serve immediately; pomodoro does not improve with holding.
Use chopped tinned tomatoes instead of passata for a slightly chunkier sauce. Add a pinch of dried chilli with the garlic for heat. A few torn basil leaves at the table are fine, but keep the reference version tomato-forward. Pecorino is sharper than Parmesan; either works, or omit for dairy-free.
Best eaten straight away. Leftovers can be refrigerated one day and reheated gently with a splash of water; texture will be softer.
