Tomato Sauce Pasta is a classic pasta recipe bursting with fresh flavors of homemade tomato sauce. Ready in 30 minutes. It is a fabulous family-friendly vegetarian meal for the busy weeknights. Serve it with focaccia bread for a fun family dinner.
Homemade Tomato Sauce For Pasta
The soul of the red sauce pasta is the homemade tomato sauce.
A delicious, multi-purpose pizza cum pasta sauce adds so much flavor to the humble pasta. No store-bought sauce can do the magic!
My tomato sauce is gluten-free and vegetarian. You can store it in the refrigerator for 1 – 2 weeks. Or freeze it for months.
Tomato Sauce Pasta Ingredients
Tomato sauce: I have used the homemade marinara sauce flavored with garlic, onion, and basil for this pasta recipe.
Pasta: Penne pasta or spaghetti is a perfect fit for the robust red sauce. I love the way sauce clings within the tubes of penne pasta, making each bite full of flavors.
Vegetables: This tomato sauce pasta recipe lists the seasonal vegetables I prefer in my pasta – bell peppers and zucchini. But go ahead and pick vegetables of your choice to make a colorful bowl of pasta.
From mushrooms, peppers, squash, pumpkin to green leafy vegetables, you can add any vegetable in this red sauce pasta.
Herbs: Fresh basil adds so much life to the pasta. The flavor of basil leaves cuts down the acidity of the tomatoes and makes the taste of pasta so much authentic.
Cheese: I prefer parmesan, cheddar or, mozzarella to sprinkle on my red sauce pasta. For a vegan pasta dish, skip dairy-based cheese and use nutritional or vegan cheese instead.
How To Boil Pasta Perfectly
To cook pasta perfectly you need – a large saucepan or pot, water, salt, tongs, and a metal colander.
Boil water in a large saucepan. If you are using 1 cup of pasta, add at least 6 cups of water. Season the water generously with salt. This way you will always end up with a well-seasoned pasta and not a bland one.
Once the water starts boiling vigorously, add pasta and stir so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Don’t break the pasta; it will soften up within 30 seconds.
Test the pasta by tasting to check for doneness. Pasta cooked properly should be al dente—a little chewy. Or cook it for a little longer time if you prefer over-cooked pasta.
Reserve some of the starchy boiled pasta water to flavor the sauce.
Drain cooked pasta in a metal colander. If serving hot, add into the sauce right away. If you’re making a pasta salad, then run under cold water to stop the cooking.
Serving Suggestions
The tomato sauce pasta is best enjoyed with:
warm bread such as focaccia or garlic bread
green leafy salad
Watch Tomato Sauce Pasta Video
More Pasta Recipes For You
Stir Fry Pasta With Vegetables
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Classic Tomato Sauce Pasta
- Saucepan
- Stir Fry Pan
Ingredients
- 200 gram penne pasta
- 2 Cup tomato sauce/marinara sauce (see recipe here)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
- 1/2 Cup finely chopped zucchini
- 1/2 Cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- Salt to taste
- 4 – 5 fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 Cup sliced black olives
- 1/4 Cup cherry tomato, cut into halves
- 1/4 Cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare the homemade tomato sauce (See how to prepare pizza/pasta sauce at home).
- Next, boil the pasta in salted water till al-dente or cooked as per your liking. Drain water from the boiled pasta and transfer it to a colander. Reserve a cup of the pasta water to flavor the sauce later.
- In a non-stick stir fry pan heat a tablespoon of olive oil. Stir fry zucchini and bell pepper till it for 3 – 5 minutes. Season with salt. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Transfer the tomato sauce to a pan. Turn on the heat. Add the boiled pasta along with the stir-fry vegetables and stir to combine. Add oregano and red chili flakes.
- Cook on a medium flame for 3 – 5 minutes for the pasta to absorb the flavors of the sauce while stirring the pasta occasionally in between. Adjust the consistency of the sauce by using reserved pasta water.
- Before serving the pasta, add fresh basil leaves, olives, cherry tomato, extra virgin olive oil, and grated cheese.
- Serve tomato sauce pasta warm with toasted garlic bread on the side.
Recipe Notes:
- Tomato Sauce for the pasta can be prepared a day or two in advance and store it in the fridge. Watch my video of homemade tomato sauce.
- You can use penne, spaghetti, or any other shell-shaped pasta for the tomato sauce.
- After adding cheese you can bake the pasta as well for 5 – 10 minutes at 180 degrees C, for a crusty, cheesy texture.
- If black olives are not available use green olives.
11 comments
wow….it looks nice and yummy
Tried tangy pasta at home..& really tasted good. Couldn’t believe i made it for the first time ever! The color of the pasta dint come out so well..as red as urs..coz of the not-so-red tomatoes..n i guess a instead of two onions…should have put one or may be one and a half..rest was all good.. thanks..would try making the other pasta soon…
Its amazing …pulkit couldnt believe that i made it at home …for me its d best dish if my son likes it..
I definitely am craving a hearty tomato based pasta like this right now. Looks incredible.
We are so glad that you like the recipe 🙂
Great recipe. We love simple, Italian food like this as there is never any need to over-complicate with fancy sauces or ingredients. Great job!
Mark even I believe that the secret mantra of a tasty dish is the fresh, natural ingredients. Cheers!
Looking v colourful and ????
thank you so much! Please do try the recipe.