Description
A rich and comforting pasta dish made by slowly caramelizing tomato paste in olive oil, then tossing it with pasta, garlic, and parmesan for a deeply savory, silky sauce that tastes far more complex than its simple ingredients suggest.
Ingredients
Scale
- 340 g dried pasta (spaghetti or rigatoni)
- 170 g tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 60 g finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
- 0.5 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
- Heat olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste to the skillet and stir continuously, spreading it evenly. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until it darkens to a deep red color.
- Add the cooked pasta to the skillet along with a splash of reserved pasta water. Toss to coat evenly.
- Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using.
- Add more pasta water as needed to create a silky sauce. Serve warm.
Notes
- Stir the tomato paste constantly to avoid burning.
- Use freshly grated cheese for the best texture.
- The sauce thickens as it cools, so add pasta water gradually.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
Keywords: caramelized tomato paste pasta, easy pasta recipe, tomato paste sauce, vegetarian pasta