Fire Roasted Tomato Weeknight Spaghetti

When in doubt, make pasta. Are you with me?!

This Fire Roasted Tomato Weeknight Spaghetti is delicious, and – incredibly easy. I love pasta for so many reasons, and often have a hard time choosing between a creamy, rich cheese type sauce and a lighter version. When it comes to this recipe, I’m all in. It’s the best of both worlds – full of flavor and depth, and yet somehow perfectly light. 

You can really use any type of noodle you like, but I especially love making it gluten free. It’s definitely the best with Manini’s GF pasta (not sponsored, just love it!) for the closest version to regular. If you want something a little more hearty and full of protein, Banza is perfection. 

Fire Roasted Tomato Weeknight Spaghetti

Fire Roasted Tomato Weeknight Spaghetti

Yield: Serves 4

This recipe for Fire Roasted Tomato Spaghetti is a weeknight classic. Feel free to double the fire roasted tomatoes for enhanced flavor. If you don’t have anchovy paste on hand, feel free to use without. Just substitute red chili flakes or another spice of choice. For a spin, toss in some fresh basil.

Ingredients

  • Olive oil (good quality)
  • ⅓ cup onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ teaspoon anchovy paste
  • 1 tablespoon organic tomato paste
  • 1, 15 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes
  • ½ teaspoon + 2 tablespoons salt (for pasta water)
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ teaspoon of chili flakes (optional)
  • 9 oz. spaghetti (or any type of pasta)
  • *reserve 1/2c. - 1 c. salted pasta water
  • Fresh basil (optional)
  • Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

  1. Warm a pan with a drizzle of olive oil on medium-low as you finely chop your onion and mince the garlic. When the oil comes to temperature, drop in the onions and garlic, you should hear a sizzle when they hit the pan.
  2. Stir frequently every 1-2 minutes until mixture becomes golden brown. At this point, add your anchovy and tomato paste and stir until incorporated. Drain the liquid from the can of tomatoes and add to the pan along with your salt, pepper and optional spice, stir them thoroughly and allow to simmer on low heat for a few minutes as you move to cooking your pasta. 
  3. Bring a small pot of water to boil, add 2 tablespoons of salt and stir to dissolve. As water arrives at a rolling boil, add your fresh or dry pasta and be sure to set a timer to ensure proper cooking time. 
  4. When your timer goes off, turn off the burner and find a mug or measuring cup to scoop around 1 cups worth of the pasta liquid then promptly strain your pasta. Pour the pasta water into the sauce simmering in the pan and give another good stir. 
  5. Turn off heat to the sauce pan and pour your drained, cooked pasta into it and gently toss it together. Serve immediately with optional garnish of fresh basil and/or cheese. Enjoy!

The key to success here is, save a bit of the pasta liquid to add that salty bit to the recipe. It adds a light creaminess without traditional cream. Feel free to double the fire roasted tomatoes for enhanced flavor. If you don’t have anchovy paste on hand, feel free to use without. Just substitute red chili flakes or another spice of choice. For a spin, toss in some fresh basil. And certainly… you can top it off with some shaved parmesan.  Serve with a side of your choice, like garlic bread and/or a salad and a glass of red wine. Perfection!

Get These Posts in Your Inbox