Easy Spaghetti
Submitted by Bingo
Easy spaghetti tosses al dente noodles with a quick onion-garlic-tomato sauce simmered in a single skillet. Pantry weeknight pasta in 35 minutes, no jar required.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
25 minREADY
35 minEasy spaghetti is the home cook’s antidote to the jar of store-bought sauce. Onion, garlic, and dried herbs sweat in olive oil while the pasta water comes to a boil, then crushed tomatoes go in and barely simmer for the time it takes to cook the noodles. Twenty-five minutes start to finish, and it tastes like Sunday sauce.
Let the onions cook past softness until they release moisture and start to caramelize at the edges. That sweet base is what gives a five-ingredient sauce real depth where most quick sauces taste flat and tinny.
Pull the spaghetti two minutes before the package says. The pasta finishes in the sauce, picking up flavor and releasing starch that thickens everything into a glossy coat. Drain but do not rinse, that starch is your friend.
Kitchen Tips
- Salt the pasta water aggressively. It should taste like the sea.
- A pinch of sugar in the tomato sauce cuts canned tomato acidity if it tastes sharp
- Reserve a half cup of pasta water before draining for adjusting sauce consistency
- Fresh basil leaves torn over the top right before serving brightens the whole bowl
- Use a quality canned tomato. San Marzano or Bianco DiNapoli are worth the splurge.
Variations
- Brown 8 ounces of Italian sausage with the onions for a meatier sauce
- Stir in a tablespoon of butter at the end for a silkier, richer finish
- Swap dried herbs for fresh oregano and basil in summer for cleaner flavor
Ingredients
Directions
Put olive oil in a skillet that about 12 inches wide.
Peel and chop onion.
Add to skillet and cook on medium heat as you peel and mince garlic.
Add garlic to skillet; stir.
Cook several more minutes to allow the vegetables to soften and give up a lot of their moisture.
Stir occasionally.
Add oregano, basil, red pepper and crushed tomatoes.
Simmer the mixture uncovered.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil for your spaghetti, usually 4½ quarts or so.
Salt the water and add 8 to 12 ounces of spaghetti.
Cook until it is just barely tender, probably 2 minutes less than they suggest on the package.
Drain but don’t rinse.
Toss with sauce and serve on plates.
Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Carrot sticks and warmed bread go well with spaghetti.
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