A well prepared Pasta al Pomodoro, Italian for pasta with tomato sauce, is a timeless and delightfully light dish. Ranking as one the best vegan dishes for beginners, lip-smacking success lies in the absolute simplicity and freshness of the ingredients. Only a little technique and an eye for a ripe juicy tomato is required, and thanks to the whole-grain quinoa pasta it’s delicious, healthy, and gluten free.
This is our go-to recipe for a mid-week meal when we’re short on time and have a handful of farmer’s market tomatoes reaching their peak ripeness.
Heirloom Tomato Pasta al Pomodoro
- 1 small red or yellow onion
- 2 teaspoons olive oil (divided)
- 3 large heirloom or vine ripened tomatoes (or sub one pint grape or cherry tomatoes)
- pinch each of salt and pepper
- 3 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 1 tsp dried chili flakes (or to taste)
- 2 tablespoons fresh basils leaves (approx. 10 leaves)
- olive oil
- 8 oz 225g Quinoa Spaghetti (It's whole grain & gluten free!)
- In a large pot, bring 8 cups (2L) water and pinch of salt to a boil.
- Dice the onion and sauté in a large on low to medium heat with a small amount of olive oil until soft and starting to go golden, approx. 7 minutes. A cast iron pan works great for this.
- With a sharp knife, dice the tomatoes into cubes and add to the onions
- Add the crushed garlic, dried chili flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper
- Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat
- Crush the tomatoes with a potato masher, leaving some chunks.
- Cook the pasta based on the recommended cooking time.
- Simmer the sauce until the liquid has reduced by two thirds and the sauce is thickening, approx. 10 minutes.
- Tear up the basil leaves and stir through
- Drain the pasta and toss with remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- To serve either mix the pasta and sauce, or serve the pasta with the sauce on top (chefs choice)
- Serve with garlic bread and a simple side salad
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