Pasta Napoletana
The recipe
Pasta Napoletana
- Serves
- 2
- Time
- ~30 mins
Ingredients
- Pasta
- 220g spaghetti or bucatini, although short pasta works too
- Salt, for the pasta water
- Napoletana sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for serving
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2–3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 x 400g tin tomatoes, whole, diced or cherry
- ½ teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- A generous handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
- 20g butter
- 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook gently for 5–6 minutes, until soft and translucent.
- Add the garlic and cook for another 1–2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Pour in the tomatoes, season with salt and black pepper, and stir well. If you're using whole tomatoes, break them up with the back of a wooden spoon.
- Reduce the heat and allow the sauce to simmer gently for around 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced and the flavours have deepened.
- While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of generously salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the packet instructions until al dente.
- Before draining, reserve around ½ cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning, then add the drained pasta, butter, Parmesan and fresh basil to the pan. Toss everything together, adding a splash of the reserved pasta water as needed, until the sauce is silky and clings beautifully to the pasta.
- Divide between bowls and finish with more Parmesan, torn basil, freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of good olive oil.
- Simply delicious.
SpaghettiTomatoVegetarian