One‑Pot Tomato Basil Pasta
Cooking pasta directly in the sauce, rather than boiling it separately, lets the starches thicken the tomato broth into a glossy, clingy sauce. Measure the liquid carefully — too much and you'll have soup, too little and the pasta won't cook through. Fresh basil stirred in at the end brightens everything. Serve this with Caesar Side Salad and Caprese Skewers.
Dinner · Vegetarian • 20 min
Servings:4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried linguine or spaghetti
- 1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
- 1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 3½ cups water
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn, plus more for garnish
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Steps
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine the pasta, crushed tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes (if using), and water. The pasta should be mostly submerged — gently press it down to fit.
- Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook, stirring frequently with tongs to keep the pasta from sticking, until the pasta is al dente and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 8–10 minutes. The sauce should be glossy and coat the pasta — if it looks dry before the pasta is done, add ¼ cup of hot water.
- Remove from heat. Fold in the torn basil. Taste and adjust salt.
- Serve immediately in shallow bowls. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, more basil, and a generous shower of Parmesan.
