Bucatini pomodoro is a classic Italian tomato sauce pasta. This recipe is as authentic as it gets, even down to the fresh pasta!
I'll be honest, I am not a big red sauce fan. Mostly, that's because I get acid reflux from it, lol. But, I really wanted to give pomodoro sauce a good-faith effort. So I did lots of research of how to do an authentic, traditional pomodoro sauce. And, I've gotta say, I ended up loving the results!
I paired this pomodoro sauce with fresh bucatini pasta, which is like spaghetti, but hollow in the center. It is so good!
If you like this bucatini pomodoro recipe, you should also try my Rigatoni Vodka Pasta.
Table of Contents:
📖 Recipe Origins
Pasta Pomodoro does come from Italy, but it is actually a (relatively) recent discovery in Italian cuisine. In the beginning of the 19th century, the Spanish actually introduced the tomato, which they imported from Central and South America.
The first mention of "pomodoro" comes from a cookbook published in 1778 for salsa al pomodoro, but it wasn't yet use as a pasta sauce. It was first served as a pasta sauce in the 1800's by Neapolitan street sellers. In 1837 it got wide recognition and grew in popularity as a pasta dish.
🎥 Watch the video of this recipe
🍝 Why you'll love Bucatini Pomodoro
- Authentic, Traditional Recipe! I researched a lot before making this recipe and I came up with what I think is a very traditional and authentic recipe. Though, I am sure everyone has their own way of making it!
- Very Easy to Make. While bucatini pomodoro isn't the quickest recipe ever, it is pretty easy overall. Most of the time is taken up by simmering and reducing, which is a pretty hands-off step.
- Hearty, Simple, & Delicious! This sauce tastes like a labor of love, because it is! Bucatini pomodoro is hearty and comforting.
🥘 What you need for this recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions:
- Onion - White or yellow onion.
- Garlic - For this recipe, I encourage you to use fresh garlic, not pre-minced garlic in a jar.
- Canned Whole Tomatoes - Cucina Alba canned whole, peeled tomatoes. This ingredient is important, don't substitute.
- Olive Oil - Good quality olive oil!
- Basil - Fresh basil, don't substitute for dried!
- Sugar
- Salt - Please us kosher salt, NOT table salt!
- Red Pepper Flakes - Just a small pinch, you can omit this if you want to.
- Parmesan - Use a good quality parmesan and grate it yourself. Do not (ever) use the "cheese" in the green tube.
Tools and Equipment:
- Large Pan or Pot
- Pot for Pasta
- Sharp Knife
- Wooden Spoon or Rubber Spatula
📋 How to make Bucatini Pomodoro
Step 1: Prepare Ingredients
Drain canned tomatoes in a strainer over a bowl and use your hand to crush the whole tomatoes. Reserved the drained juice.
Chop the onion into small or medium dice size and mince the garlic cloves. Keep separate and set aside.
Finely chop the basil and grate the parmesan, set aside.
Step 2: Begin the Sauce
In a large non-stick pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and add the diced onions with a small pinch of salt and stir to sweat the onions until translucent.
Add the minced garlic and stir for about 1 minute until just fragrant. Then, add the crushed tomatoes, stir to combine.
Add salt and sugar and simmer while stirring for about 15-20 minutes, until the sauce is reduced.
Once reduced, add about half of the reserved tomato juices (discard the rest) and the red pepper flakes, bring to a more rapid simmer and cook for another 15-20 minutes
After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and fold in the chopped basil.
Step 3: Finishing Touches
Cook the bucatini in a pot of boiling salted water until it floats (if fresh) or according to package instructions to al dente.
Drain the pasta (but always reserve some pasta water if needed).
In the dry pot of pasta (or in a new pan) heat 1-2 tablespoon of more olive oil. Add ¼-⅓ cup of the pomodoro sauce to the pot, then add the drained cooked pasta.
Stir to combine until pasta is coated, adding more sauce if you need to.
Mix in half of the parmesan cheese and, if you wish, more basil.
Serve hot and garnish with remaining parmesan and fresh parsley or basil.
💭 Expert Tips & Tricks
- NOTE: This recipe will create much more sauce than pasta. If you want to serve more, I think you could use up to about 12 oz of dry pasta if you want to use up all of the sauce!
- For this recipe (and all of my recipes) salt refers to kosher salt, which is actually less salty than table salt. Be sure to use kosher salt.
- You can substitute bucatini for spaghetti, or really any pasta you like the best.
Storage & Reheating Tips:
- Store in the Fridge: Wait until the pasta comes to room temperature and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
- Store in the Freezer: Store in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to about 3 months.
- How to Reheat: Always inspect leftovers for impurities or mold by using your eyes and nose. Reheat by adding to a nonstick pan with a dash of olive oil over medium heat until heated through. Garnish with fresh parmesan.
Recipe FAQs
Pomodoro sauce refers to a tomato pasta sauce, made from fresh or canned tomatoes.
Bucatini pasta can be used anywhere you would normally use spaghetti pasta! It's great in this bucatini pomodoro recipe.
Bucatini Pomodoro is great because of how long it cooks down, really making the flavors rich and comforting.
Related Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Bucatini Pomodoro
Equipment
- Large pan or pot
- Pot for Pasta
- Sharp Knife
- Wooden Spoon or Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
- 2 nests Bucatini pasta (fresh) 8 oz for dry
- 1 28 ounce can Cucina Alba Tomatoes (San Marzano) whole, peeled tomatoes
- 1 large Onion diced
- 5 cloves Garlic minced
- ½ cup Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Basil finely chopped, more for garnish
- 3 tablespoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- pinch Red pepper flakes roughly ¼ teaspoon - ½ teaspoon
- 2 tablespoon Parmesan grated
Instructions
- Drain canned tomatoes in a strainer over a bowl and use your hand to crush the whole tomatoes. Reserved the drained juice.
- Chop the onion into small or medium dice size and mince the garlic cloves. Keep separate and set aside.
- Finely chop the basil and grate the parmesan, set aside.
- In a large non-stick pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and add the diced onions with a small pinch of salt and stir to sweat the onions until translucent.
- Add the minced garlic and stir for about 1 minute until just fragrant. Then, add the crushed tomatoes, stir to combine.
- Add salt and sugar and simmer while stirring for about 15-20 minutes, until the sauce is reduced.
- Once reduced, add about half of the reserved tomato juices (discard the rest) and the red pepper flakes, bring to a more rapid simmer and cook for another 15-20 minutes
- After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and fold in the chopped basil.
- Cook the bucatini in a pot of boiling salted water until it floats (if fresh) or according to package instructions to al dente.
- Drain the pasta (but always reserve some pasta water if needed).
- In the dry pot of pasta (or in a new pan) heat 1-2 tablespoon of more olive oil. Add ¼-⅓ cup of the pomodoro sauce to the pot, then add the drained cooked pasta.
- Stir to combine until pasta is coated, adding more sauce if you need to.
- Mix in half of the parmesan cheese and, if you wish, more basil.
- Serve hot and garnish with remaining parmesan and fresh parsley or basil.
Video
Notes
- NOTE: This recipe will create much more sauce than pasta. If you want to serve more, I think you could use up to about 12 oz of dry pasta if you want to use up all of the sauce!
- For this recipe (and all of my recipes) salt refers to kosher salt, which is actually less salty than table salt. Be sure to use kosher salt.
- You can substitute bucatini for spaghetti, or really any pasta you like the best.
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