Spaghetti al Pomodoro: The Classic Italian Recipe

Picture "Italian food" and you likely see a bowl of spaghetti with tomato sauce. The most famous Italian recipe, spaghetto al pomodoro is made with a few simple ingredients, tastes delicious and is easy to make. Sometimes it is difficult to be simple, though: many Italians judge a restaurant on its spaghetti al pomodoro. Our chefs in Italy spent months testing, tasting and experimenting with ingredients from our marketplace to create the best version.

Ingredients for 4 people

• 1 (17.6-ounce) package of Eataly Spaghetti
• 2 (12-ounce) jars of Così Com'è Whole Red Datterino Tomatoes, unpeeled in tomato juice
• 1/4 cup ROI Monocultivar Taggiasca Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for serving
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Sicilian Sale Integrale Sea Salt by Il Mercante di Spezie
• 3–4 sprigs fresh basil
• Kosher salt, for cooking the pasta

How to make Spaghetti al Pomodoro

1. Crush the tomatoes between your fingers, letting them fall into a saucepan. Stir in the tomato juices and olive oil, and season with the Sicilian sea salt to taste.
2. Heat a large pot of water. When it reaches a boil, add a palmful of kosher salt until the water is salty. Add the spaghetti and cook for 11 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pasta to the saucepan with the tomatoes.
3. Add half a cup of the pasta water and toss everything together over medium heat for about 1 minute.
4. Divide the spaghetti among four warmed bowls. Drizzle with olive oil and add a sprig of fresh basil. Serve immediately.

Tips

Nota bene

The recipe itself is simple, but the ingredients are the star of the dish, especially the tomatoes.