Classic tomato spaghetti | Jamie Oliver pasta recipes (2024)

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Classic tomato spaghetti

With a hum of fresh red chilli

Classic tomato spaghetti | Jamie Oliver pasta recipes (2)

With a hum of fresh red chilli

“This pasta sauce takes minutes to cook. What’s great about this recipe for beginner cooks is that once you’ve done it a few times you can add other simple ingredients to your basic tomato sauce to completely transform it. Check out the end of the recipe, where I’ve given you some ideas to get you started. ”

Jamie's Ministry of FoodTomato

Nutrition per serving
  • Calories 461 23%

  • Fat 17.2g 25%

  • Saturates 5.5g 28%

  • Sugars 6g 7%

  • Salt 0.9g 15%

  • Protein 17.1g 34%

  • Carbs 63.5g 24%

  • Fibre 4g -

Of an adult's reference intake

recipe adapted from

Jamie's Ministry of Food

By Jamie Oliver

Tap For Method

Ingredients

  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 fresh red chilli
  • 1 bunch of fresh basil , (30g)
  • 300 g dried spaghetti
  • olive oil
  • 1 x 400 g tin of plum tomatoes
  • 80 g Parmesan cheese , Grana Padano or vegetarian alternative

The cost per serving below is generated by Whisk.com and is based on costs in individual supermarkets. For more information about how we calculate costs per serving read our FAQS

recipe adapted from

Jamie's Ministry of Food

By Jamie Oliver

Tap For Ingredients

Method

  1. Peel the garlic and finely slice with the chilli (halve and deseed it first if you don’t want the sauce too hot).
  2. Pick the basil leaves off the stalks and put to one side. Finely chop the stalks.
  3. Cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling salted water according to packet instructions.
  4. Meanwhile, put a large saucepan on a medium heat and add 2 good lugs of oil. Add the garlic, chilli and basil stalks and give them a stir.
  5. When the garlic begins to brown slightly, add most of the basil leaves and scrunch in the tomatoes. Turn the heat up high and stir for 1 minute. Taste and season with sea salt and black pepper, if needed.
  6. Drain the spaghetti, reserving a mugful of cooking water, then transfer it to the pan of sauce and stir well. Add a splash of pasta cooking water to loosen, if needed, then taste and season to perfection.
  7. Divide the pasta between bowls, or put it on the table in a large serving dish and let everyone help themselves.
  8. Roughly tear over the remaining basil leaves and finely grate over the Parmesan.

Tips

FLAVOUR BOOST:
These can be added to your tomato sauce when it’s finished. Just stir in and warm through:

– Add a handful of baby spinach to the sauce at the same time that you add the pasta – when the leaves have wilted, remove from the heat and serve with some crumbled goat’s cheese on top.
– A few handfuls of cooked prawns and a handful of chopped rocket, with the juice of ½ a lemon.
– A tin of tuna, drained and flaked into the sauce with ½ a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, some black olives and the juice of ½ a lemon.
– A handful of fresh or frozen peas and broad beans.

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recipe adapted from

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By Jamie Oliver

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© 2024 Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited

© 2024 Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited

Classic tomato spaghetti | Jamie Oliver pasta recipes (2024)

FAQs

What can I add to tomato pasta to make it taste better? ›

13 Ways to Make Any Jarred Pasta Sauce Better
  1. Start with the right pasta and sauce. ...
  2. Season with dried herbs. ...
  3. Or flavor with fresh herb sprigs. ...
  4. Double up on tomato goodness. ...
  5. Add more garlic and/or onions. ...
  6. Sweeten and thicken with squash purée. ...
  7. Punch things up with a pinch of chili flakes. ...
  8. Try this secret ingredient.
Dec 9, 2022

How to jazz up tomato pasta? ›

7 Ways to Improve the Taste of Jar Pasta Sauce
  1. Sautee Some Veggies. The first step to making your jar sauce better is to sautee some garlic in olive oil on your stovetop. ...
  2. Mix in Some Meat. ...
  3. Add a Splash of Red Wine. ...
  4. Spice It Up. ...
  5. Get Cheesy. ...
  6. Stir in More Dairy. ...
  7. Pop It in the Oven.

How do you make tomato sauce taste better for spaghetti? ›

Toss in Olives or Capers

Briny ingredients like olives or capers are another way to brighten up your pasta sauce while also introducing texture and depth of flavor. Roughly chop a handful and stir them into your sauce while it's heating up on the stove.

How do you doctor up tomato sauce for pasta? ›

8 Ways to Elevate Canned Spaghetti Sauce
  1. 1 - Extra virgin olive oil. Adding a good amount of a flavorful olive oil will go a long way in infusing flavor into your sauce. ...
  2. 2 - Fresh garlic. ...
  3. 3 - Meat. ...
  4. 4 - Hot pepper flakes. ...
  5. 5 - Red wine. ...
  6. 6 - Fresh or dried herbs. ...
  7. 7 - Cheese. ...
  8. 8 - Cream and/or butter.
Feb 26, 2018

Why add cream cheese to spaghetti sauce? ›

It may sound a little unusual to add cream cheese to a pasta recipe, but it adds a tangy note and rich creaminess to the sauce. You can also add extra seasonings and other ingredients to the base recipe to fit your personal taste.

What to add to jar spaghetti sauce? ›

The secret to great sauce lies in proportions, cook times, and any additions to that basic formula — all of which change its texture and flavor.
  1. Toss in fresh or dried herbs. ...
  2. Sautée garlic and onions. ...
  3. Chop up some vegetables. ...
  4. Add some heat. ...
  5. Stir in cheese or cream. ...
  6. Add meat or meat alternatives.
Jul 6, 2022

What does adding butter to tomato sauce do? ›

Add butter

Yes, that's right. Toss in a few tablespoons of butter, and let it melt into the sauce. If you've never tried it before, it might seem strange, but a little butter makes tomato sauce rich and smooth, and also balances out too much acidity, which is common in jarred sauces.

Why put sour cream in spaghetti sauce? ›

Sour cream can enhance both the taste and texture of your pasta sauce. It works in a similar manner to when you add heavy cream to a pasta sauce, only it imparts a lovely tart flavor that is irresistible to the palate. Sour cream is a dairy product that has been fermented with lactic acid.

How do you pimp up pasta? ›

Just mix your leftover pasta with some egg, garlic, parmesan, fresh herbs, and a sprinkle of flour to bind. Stir through some grated zucchini or riced cauliflower if desired, to bulk up your 5-a-day.

What is the secret to good tomato sauce? ›

5 Tips for a Better Tasting Tomato Sauce
  • Use wine. Both red and white wine work extremely well for adding flavor to tomato sauce. ...
  • Roast the tomatoes first. ...
  • Add a Parmesan or Romano rind. ...
  • Stir in a little butter. ...
  • Try anchovies.

How do you deepen the flavor of spaghetti sauce? ›

To make spaghetti sauce taste better:
  1. Sauté onions and garlic for flavor.
  2. Use quality tomatoes (canned or fresh).
  3. Simmer the sauce for an extended period.
  4. Add herbs and spices like basil and oregano.
  5. Enhance with a splash of red wine (optional).
  6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Feb 25, 2022

What makes spaghetti sauce more flavorful? ›

Nutmeg is the key to boosting earthiness and adding a touch of nuttiness to your spaghetti sauce. Nutmeg also has a slightly sweet flavor, which we know goes great with acidic canned tomatoes. Overall, it accentuates the other ingredients in the sauce and adds complexity.

Why add tomato paste to spaghetti sauce? ›

Add depth to pasta sauce

Tomato paste is great to have on hand when making a tomato-based pasta sauce, since it can intensify the umami tomato flavors already present. It's a key ingredient in this simple marinara sauce, which you can make entirely from canned tomatoes.

Should you let pasta rest before adding sauce? ›

Cook sauce first.

Waiting will lead to overcooked, overly starchy pasta.

What to put on pasta when you have no sauce? ›

Cheese is an excellent way to add flavor to your pasta without having to rely on sauce. Try mixing your angel hair pasta with goat cheese, and toss in sun-dried tomatoes to make an amazing meal with just a few ingredients. Garlic butter is a terrific way to season all types of noodles.

How can I make my pasta more flavorful? ›

Olive oil or butter and herbs. Adding a fat to the pasta makes it taste better if you're poor and need something. I also add oregano and/or basil. Butter, eggs, and cheese.

What enhances tomato Flavour? ›

Seasoning Tomatoes With Cream of Tartar

Yes, there are other ways to make your tomatoes taste even better and increase the acidity. There is lemon, vinegar, or my personal favorite, balsamic. Just imagine a tomato bruschetta with a balsamic vinaigrette drizzled on top. Yummy!

What adds flavor to tomato sauce? ›

If you're using a plain tomato (marinara) sauce, stir in seasonings to add extra flavor. Red pepper flakes, dehydrated or fresh garlic, dried oregano, parsley, or basil, or an Italian seasoning blend are all good options.

How to sweeten tomato pasta sauce? ›

1. Sweetness: I don't want my tomato sauce to taste sweet.
  1. The first technique in developing sweetness is to cook the tomatoes. ...
  2. Sugar might be the most common way to sweeten tomato sauces. ...
  3. Fruit and carrots are a very natural way to add mild sweetness, and carrots are my personal favorite for this.
Feb 28, 2020

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