Pasta al Pomodoro

The fundamental Italian pasta dish. Four ingredients: pasta, tomatoes, olive oil, salt. The quality of each determines the result.

Ingredients (4 servings)

• 320g dry pasta (spaghetti or rigatoni)
• 400g canned peeled tomatoes
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt, for pasta water

Instructions

1. Prepare the sauce Heat the olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Crush the peeled tomatoes by hand directly into the pan. Add a generous pinch of salt. Cook over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and darkens slightly in colour.

2. Cook the pasta Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Salt generously (the water should taste faintly of the sea). Cook pasta 2 minutes less than the package indicates.

3. Finish in the sauce Transfer the pasta directly into the sauce pan using tongs, reserving a cup of pasta cooking water. Toss over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, adding pasta water as needed to achieve a coating consistency. The starch in the water binds the sauce to the pasta.

4. Serve Serve immediately. A thread of raw olive oil on each plate before serving deepens the flavour.

Notes

The sauce is intentionally minimal. Garlic, basil, or chilli can be added but are not canonical to the base dish. The 20-minute cooking time produces a sauce with residual acidity and brightness; 40+ minutes produces a sweeter, more complex sauce.

Use a 400g can (net weight, drained: ~240–280g) for 4 servings. Do not add sugar.

For the full itemised cost breakdown, use the Recipe Cost Calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does pasta al pomodoro cost per serving? At Italian supermarket prices (Q1 2025): pasta secca (€0.53 for 320g) + canned tomatoes (€0.76 for 400g) + olive oil (~€0.19 for 20ml) = approximately €1.52 total, or €0.38 per serving for 4 people. This makes pasta al pomodoro one of the cheapest complete pasta dishes in Italian cooking. Use the Recipe Cost Calculator to verify at your target serving count.

What is the most expensive ingredient? Canned peeled tomatoes (pomodori pelati) at €1.90/kg account for approximately 50% of total ingredient cost — €0.76 for a 400g can. At this price point, the tomatoes cost more than the pasta (€0.53 for 320g). Olive oil adds a further €0.15–0.19. There is no dairy, protein, or aged cheese in this recipe; those additions would shift the dominant cost driver entirely.

Can I reduce the cost further? Pasta al pomodoro is already the cheapest tomato-based pasta in the collection. The only cheaper options are pasta aglio, olio e peperoncino at €0.29/serving and pasta e piselli at €0.32/serving, both of which remove the tomatoes. Using own-brand canned tomatoes instead of a named brand can reduce cost by €0.05–0.10/serving. For a cross-category ranking, see Italian Recipes Under €1 Per Serving.