Grab your fork and enjoy this delightful, fun and flavourful spaghetti – perfect with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and fresh basil! This spaghetti is bursting with delicious flavours!
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Simple tomato spaghetti
This dish has got to be one of my favourite homemade dishes – a timeless classic Italian dish!
If you are ever looking for a meal that is comforting, quick and easy to make, tasty to eat and fresh – this spaghetti is for you!
This spaghetti is so satisfying, simple to make and fun to eat!
This dish has a beautiful combination of flavours – a rich, flavourful tomato sauce which perfectly infuses with freshly made spaghetti – topped with shredded cheddar cheese – it does not get better than this!
This delicious tomato spaghetti uses my simple Italian tomato sauce as the base - but you can also use my big batch spaghetti sauce as a base (for a larger quantity + with onions).
I love serving this spaghetti with some jalapeño poppers or garlic breaded mushrooms and garlic bread! You can even make other Italian dishes including veggie risotto or homemade pizzas and serve for an ultimate Italian feast!
This dish can be made with any type of spaghetti! If you prefer a healthier version – I would recommend making whole wheat spaghetti, which has more fibre and nutrients.
Notes on Recipe Ingredients
To make this spaghetti you will need:
- Spaghetti: you can use any type of spaghetti including whole wheat or spelt.
- Olive oil: use extra virgin olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil works well in Italian cooking and contains vitamins and minerals.
- Garlic: use fresh cloves of garlic for this dish, these are chopped and sautéed to bring flavour to the sauce.
- Red chillies: for heat and flavour.
- Tomato passata: (this is also labelled Tomato Puree in the US), I am referring to pureed and strained tomatoes which comes in a jar (or carton). This is the base of the sauce.
- Fresh basil: for a refreshing taste in this sauce.
- Salt: to season the spaghetti sauce.
- Plum or cherry tomatoes: fresh plum or cherry tomatoes are added in the sauce, these bring a rich tomato taste and subtle sweetness to the sauce.
Equipment
- To make spaghetti you will need a saucepan to boil the spaghetti and a colander to drain the spaghetti.
- I also recommend using a weighing scale to measure the quantity of spaghetti – so you have the correct size according to the number of portions you wish to make.
- Typically, 75g of dry spaghetti is a recommended serving however this can range between 70g and 100g depending on preferred portion size and whether you are serving other dishes with the spaghetti
SAVE this recipe! 📩
How to Make Tomato Spaghetti
- Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add garlic and red chillies. Cook for 2 minutes on medium heat, until slightly golden.
- Add the half of the chopped basil into the pan. Stir and cook for 10-15 seconds.
- Add the tomato passata into the pan. Stir, cover and cook on medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring the sauce every few minutes. Tip: To remove all the sauce from the jar - add a little water into the bottle, put the lid back on and give the jar a shake and pour into the pan.
- Cook spaghetti. While the sauce is cooking, cook spaghetti in a saucepan of boiling water on the stove for 8-10 minutes or depending on packet instructions. Tip: Weigh your spaghetti according to portion size.
- Season sauce, cover and cook. Season with salt, add the plum tomatoes and the remaining half of the chopped basil and stir once more. Cover and cook on high heat for another 3-5 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
- Serve and enjoy: Drain cooked spaghetti into a colander and add into pasta sauce. Alternatively serve sauce on top of each plate of spaghetti. Garnish with shredded/grated cheese and a handful of fresh basil! Enjoy!
Tips for making the BEST spaghetti
- Cook spaghetti once sauce is made/nearly made: I recommend making the sauce first and then cooking the spaghetti after adding the tomato passata. This will help prevent the spaghetti from drying out.
- Drain spaghetti in a colander: this will help remove any excess starch and water in the spaghetti – so we don’t have watery spaghetti!
- Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese and fresh basil: cheddar cheese perfectly pairs with this spaghetti!
Big batch of spaghetti sauce
- If you are a fan of spaghetti - I recommend making a big batch of spaghetti sauce and freezing in smaller containers (which are freezer-friendly). This will help make meals so much easier!
- All you have to do is defrost sauce (according to portion size) and cook spaghetti and serve! Check out our tips for making and freezing a big batch of spaghetti sauce.
- A big batch of spaghetti sauce is also great for parties and get-togethers!
Serving and storage tips
- This spaghetti is best served fresh – so prepare when you are ready to serve.
- If you wish to prepare in advance you can make the sauce and store in the fridge. Reheat before serving with freshly cooked spaghetti.
- Serve this spaghetti with grated/shredded cheddar cheese and fresh basil! This dish goes well with crispy jalapeño poppers, garlic breaded mushrooms and garlic bread! For an ultimate feast, serve with veg risotto and aubergine/eggplant red pepper bake! Enjoy!
Related
Looking for other delicious recipes? Try these:
Italian Tomato Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 300 g spaghetti
Spaghetti sauce
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 8 Garlic cloves (6 cloves for milder flavour)
- 1 Red chilli (chopped)
- 2 tablespoon fresh basil leaves (chopped) ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- 680 g Tomato passata
- 1 cup Plum tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
- ¾ teaspoon Salt or to taste
Serving
- Handful Cheddar cheese (grated/shredded) for serving
- Handful Fresh basil (serving)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add garlic and red chillies. Cook for 2 minutes on medium heat, until slightly golden.
- Add half of the chopped basil into the pan. Stir and cook for 10-15 seconds.
- Add the tomato passata into the pan. Stir, cover and cook on medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring the sauce every few minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in a saucepan of boiling water on the stove for 8-10 minutes or depending on packet instructions, while the sauce is cooking.
- Season with salt, add the plum tomatoes and the remaining half of the chopped basil and stir once more. Cover and cook on high heat for another 3-5 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
- Serve and enjoy. Drain cooked spaghetti into a colander and add into pasta sauce. Alternatively serve sauce on top of each plate of spaghetti. Garnish with shredded/grated cheese and a handful of fresh basil! Enjoy!
Notes
- Cook spaghetti once sauce is made/nearly made: if you are making the sauce from scratch, I recommend making the sauce first and then towards the end (10 minutes before it is made), making the spaghetti – this will help prevent the spaghetti from drying out.
- Drain spaghetti in a colander: this will help remove any excess starch and water in the spaghetti – so no watery spaghetti!
- Make sure sauce is hot: whether making from scratch or defrosting your sauce, ensure the sauce is hot before adding the spaghetti – or you will have to reheat and this can dry out the spaghetti.
- Serving and storing tips: This spaghetti is best served fresh – so prepare when you are ready to serve. Serve with grated/shredded cheddar cheese and fresh basil! If you wish to prepare in advance you can make the sauce and store in the fridge or freezer. Reheat before serving with freshly boiled spaghetti.
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