Pasta with Tomato Sauce
The secret to pasta with tomato sauce is that the sauce simmers on low heat for at least 20 minutes until the oil rises to the top and it darkens in color — before that it tastes acidic and like raw tomatoes. And the pasta is cooked 1 minute less than the package instructions and tossed in the sauce on the heat for 2 minutes with a little of the boiling water, so it absorbs the flavor and isn't just plain pasta under sauce.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Calories
- 655
Photo: Georges Seguin (Okki) / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 · https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Penne_with_tomato_20100915.jpg
Pasta with tomato sauce is the ultimate Egyptian home lunch when you want a quick, cheap meal that everyone loves: penne or spaghetti, with a red sauce made of onions, garlic, and blended tomatoes. From this same sauce, you can make it with minced meat, sausage, or chicken.
Method
-
1
Preparing the Tomatoes
Cut the tomatoes and blend them in a blender, then strain them through a sieve to get rid of the seeds and skins. A kilo yields about 3 and a half cups of juice, and straining gives a smooth sauce that isn't grainy.
⏱ 5 min -
2
Sautéing the Onions
In a wide pot, heat the oil and butter and sauté the onion over medium heat for 6–8 minutes until it wilts and turns golden, and add the bell pepper in the last two minutes. Wilted onions give the sauce its natural sweetness, while burnt onions make it bitter.
⏱ 8 min -
3
Garlic and Tomato Paste
Add the garlic and stir for just half a minute, then add the 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and stir it in the oil for 2 minutes until its color darkens to a brick red. This sautéing removes the raw paste taste and a large part of its acidity.
⏱ 3 min -
4
Simmering
Pour in the tomato juice and add the salt, pepper, cumin, and sugar, let it come to a boil then lower the heat and leave it uncovered for 20 minutes with occasional stirring. It is ready when it thickens and you find the oil rising to the top — this is the sign that excess water has evaporated and the flavor is concentrated.
⏱ 20 min -
5
Boiling the Pasta
While the sauce is on the stove, boil 4 liters of water with 1 and a half tablespoons of salt and the bay leaf. Drop in the pasta and stir it for the first two minutes so it doesn't stick together, and leave it 1 minute less than the package time (usually 8–9 minutes), because it will finish cooking in the sauce.
⏱ 10 min -
6
Pasta Water and Draining
Before draining, scoop out half a cup of the boiling water and set it aside. Drain the pasta and do not rinse it with cold water — the starch on it is what helps the sauce cling to it.
⏱ 1 min -
7
Tossing in the Sauce
Drop the pasta into the pot of sauce over low heat and toss for 2 minutes, adding a spoonful of the pasta water at a time if the sauce is too thick. This way the pasta absorbs the flavor of the sauce instead of staying bland on the inside.
⏱ 2 min -
8
Serving
Serve it hot right away, and if you like, sprinkle grated Rumi cheese on top. Pasta with sauce absorbs the sauce and dries out if it sits too long, so do the previous step just minutes before eating.
⏱ 1 min
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Tips that actually matter
- Want it with minced meat? Sauté 250 grams of minced meat after the onion until it absorbs its water and browns, then continue with the sauce normally with a quarter cup of extra water.
- Pale tomatoes produce pale and acidic sauce — if the tomatoes aren't very ripe, add another tablespoon of paste and a pinch of sugar.
- Oil in the boiling water doesn't prevent sticking — what prevents it is plenty of water and stirring during the first two minutes.
- Want it spicy? Add a minced hot green pepper with the garlic, or half a teaspoon of crushed chili flakes with the tomatoes.
People also ask
Why does the sauce turn out acidic or taste like raw tomatoes?
Because it didn't simmer enough, or the paste was added to the tomatoes without being sautéed in oil first. Leave it on low heat until the oil appears on top, and if it's still acidic, add a pinch of sugar or a tablespoon of butter at the end — both cut through the acidity without changing the flavor.
Can I make the sauce using just paste without fresh tomatoes?
Yes: 4 tablespoons of tomato paste sautéed in oil with the onion and garlic, then 3 cups of hot water, and simmered for 15 minutes. The taste is a bit heavier and darker than fresh tomatoes, so add a pinch of sugar because paste is more acidic.
Why does the pasta stick together?
Because the water is too little for the amount of pasta, or it wasn't stirred in the first two minutes, or it was drained and left sitting without sauce. Boil the half kilo in at least 4 liters of water, stir as soon as it goes in, and mix it into the sauce right after draining.
Can I make the sauce ahead of time or freeze it?
The sauce on its own lasts for 4 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer in small containers, and you reheat it on the stove with a splash of water. As for mixed pasta, it keeps in the fridge for just two days, and is reheated in a pan with a quarter cup of water — freezing it is not recommended because the pasta becomes soft and falls apart.
Cook mode
Pasta with Tomato Sauce
-
1
Preparing the Tomatoes
Cut the tomatoes and blend them in a blender, then strain them through a sieve to get rid of the seeds and skins. A kilo yields about 3 and a half cups of juice, and straining gives a smooth sauce that isn't grainy.
-
2
Sautéing the Onions
In a wide pot, heat the oil and butter and sauté the onion over medium heat for 6–8 minutes until it wilts and turns golden, and add the bell pepper in the last two minutes. Wilted onions give the sauce its natural sweetness, while burnt onions make it bitter.
-
3
Garlic and Tomato Paste
Add the garlic and stir for just half a minute, then add the 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and stir it in the oil for 2 minutes until its color darkens to a brick red. This sautéing removes the raw paste taste and a large part of its acidity.
-
4
Simmering
Pour in the tomato juice and add the salt, pepper, cumin, and sugar, let it come to a boil then lower the heat and leave it uncovered for 20 minutes with occasional stirring. It is ready when it thickens and you find the oil rising to the top — this is the sign that excess water has evaporated and the flavor is concentrated.
-
5
Boiling the Pasta
While the sauce is on the stove, boil 4 liters of water with 1 and a half tablespoons of salt and the bay leaf. Drop in the pasta and stir it for the first two minutes so it doesn't stick together, and leave it 1 minute less than the package time (usually 8–9 minutes), because it will finish cooking in the sauce.
-
6
Pasta Water and Draining
Before draining, scoop out half a cup of the boiling water and set it aside. Drain the pasta and do not rinse it with cold water — the starch on it is what helps the sauce cling to it.
-
7
Tossing in the Sauce
Drop the pasta into the pot of sauce over low heat and toss for 2 minutes, adding a spoonful of the pasta water at a time if the sauce is too thick. This way the pasta absorbs the flavor of the sauce instead of staying bland on the inside.
-
8
Serving
Serve it hot right away, and if you like, sprinkle grated Rumi cheese on top. Pasta with sauce absorbs the sauce and dries out if it sits too long, so do the previous step just minutes before eating.
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