Spaghetti With Pomodoro Sauce

Nothing says “baby’s first Italian dinner” quite like mediocre marinara sauce dumped over clumpy noodles. Contrariwise, this pasta pomodoro recipe says: “Hello, I am a confident, resourceful, worldly home cook.” Presenting: a silky tangle of tender noodles enrobed in a rich, buttery, almost-as-easy-to-make-as-cracking-a-jar pasta sauce. Here’s how to get there.

At its simplest a pomodoro sauce recipe requires olive oil and good-quality canned tomatoes (we like Muir Glen, but if you opt for pricier San Marzano tomatoes, be sure to look for the DOP designation on the can). Our version adds garlic, Parmesan cheese, lots of fresh basil, and butter—gotta have that glossy finish. The result is an Italian tomato sauce that’s brighter, with more vibrant acidity than you might expect from something like a marinara (which often includes oregano, red wine, and extra spices). Looking for a sauce that uses summer-fresh tomatoes? Try this version using grated heirlooms with miso butter.

Here we pair the sauce with spaghetti, but you can use this simple recipe with any of your favorite pasta shapes—or layer it into a lasagna or chicken Parmesan, deploy it as a homemade pizza sauce, slide it next to a pile of mozzarella sticks, or slather it on a meatball hoagie.