Italian Tomato Spaghetti

5 from 5 votes

Grab your fork and enjoy this delightful, fun and flavourful spaghetti – perfect with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and fresh basil! This spaghetti is so simple to make and is bursting with delicious flavours!

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: people (2-4 people depending on serving size)

Calories: 398kcal

Author: Sonia

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.

Nutrition