Tomato and Garlic Pasta

This is probably one of my favorite recipes from this site! I have made it more times than I can count. You really want to use quality ingredients for this. Use fresh, red, ripe tomatoes, as the flavor is just something you can't get out of a can. Use a good olive oil. Fresh garlic. I always use dried basil but I'm sure fresh basil would be great too. I also sometimes splash in just a little bit of sweet balsamic vinegar (about 1/2 - 3/4 tablespoon). It really gives this dish a unique flavor. I absolutely love this one. It is so light and delicious. Thanks so much. :)

I'm not sure why the tomatoes are boiled in the first stage. If it is to peel them - cut a cross on the bottoms and place in a bowl of boiled water and leave for 1/2 a minute or so. Pick up with a fork and peel the skins off easily. Otherwise it is a reasonably tasty spaghetti - needs a little more flavour though.

I just made this and had to rate it right away. This is fantastic! I didn't have any parm on hand so i omitted it. i was concerned that w/o the cheese it would be lacking in flavor, but it is not at all. I was looking for a recipe to duplicate something that i had at a restaurant and this matches it exactly. (of course at the restaurant it cost $18 rather than the $3 to make it myself!)

This is a great recipe, especially if you have fantastic tomatoes and plenty of fresh basil. If you are lacking in the produce department, add some mushrooms for more flavor. Here's what I did: I sauteed 8 oz of quartered crimini mushrooms with the garlic until they released their juices, 2 to 3 minutes. Then, I added a 1/4 cup of dry white wine and cooked over medium-high heat until all the liquid had been absorbed. I followed the recipe from there, adding the tomatoes and pasta. It turned out great and the mushrooms really made up for my less than perfect tomatoes.

This was delicious! I think that I had a definite advantage using garden fresh tomatoes - they have SO much more flavor than the store bought tomatoes! I also doubled the garlic and laid off of the olive oil - it really doesn't need so much. I tossed it with garlic and parsley fettuccini and it made for a very healthy, easy and delicious dinner.

This is a nicely flavoured, quick and easy recipe to make. In the winter, the tomato paste is a good idea as fresh tomatoes tend to be tasteless. However, in the summer, I would definitely omit the paste, as it would interfere with the fresh taste. Fresh (not dried) basil is a must. My store didn't have it but the the frozen type worked well. I added a splash of white wine to the recipe when I added the tomatoes. Half the olive oil could also be substitued with butter, which gives a beautiful rich flavour.

I've been putting off making this recipe until I could get decent tasting tomatoes from the store. I added a little more garlic, and I also cooked the pasta using the 'Enhanced Spagetti' method from this site. It turned out absolutely perfect! I can't wait to make it again with fresh homegrown tomatoes. Thanks!

Wow!!! The best and most delicious sauce I have ever tasted!! This is fantastic!!!! The fresh tomato is to die for!! I added mushrooms and onions, and mmm mmm mmm!!!

Yum, this was good. It has all the components I look for in a dinner type recipe: It is cheap to make, quick to put together, healthy, and taste pretty descent. The changes I made was using 1 Tblsp of olive oil to saute the garlic in. I misread it should be more. I also used, 2 15oz cans of petite diced tomatoes for the 2lbs of prepared tomatoes. That saved so much time and dishes! Since canned tomatoes have salt I didn't add any and I don't care for black pepper, so I didn't add any of that either. I don't have fresh basil, so I just added a pinch of dried. I find it to be really strong. The ingredients list doesn't mention it, but the recipe says to add 2 Tblsp of olive oil to the cooked drained noodles. I think it was neccessary for added flavor and so they didn't bunch up, but blend in with the sauce. The angel hair pasta was the perfect type. It made 4 generous servings. ty

This is delicious, easy to make, and I feel so healthy when I have it! I always use whole wheat angel hair pasta and add a dash of balsamic to the sauce per another reviewer's suggestion. Wonderful!

This was great. I did increase the garlic by a tablespoon, and reduced the olive oil. I also added diced onions to the garlic, and a few mushrooms. will definitely make again! Thanks for the great recipe!!

WOW! I used my home grown roma tomatoes and fresh basil from my herb garden and topped it with fresh parsley. Thank you God for my garden and thanks to you for this recipe.

Very easy to make and turned out absolutely delicious.

I make something very similar to this all the time. I don't use tomato paste, and I use whatever pasta I have hanging around. Thanks for posting an official recipe of it. I love this stuff on a busy night.

This is a great recipe. Use only fresh tomatoes, score bottom of tomato with X and place in very hot water and then in ice water, this will make it easy to peel. Increased recipe 4lbs tomato, 6 cloves garlic, 3 tbsp of basil, 3tbsp fresh parsley, 8 oz can of italian herb tomato sauce, 2 tbsp tomato, paste, 1/4 cup of white wine, 1 pkg of red peppers(we like spicey). Can add shrimp. The use of all the fresh ingredients makes this recipe great! I made this for a family dinner and had to cook more pasta because the first batch was all gone.

I made it more simple by using canned diced tomatoes, and added a little flavor with a dash of red wine vinegar, YUM! I put this over Gnocci, and it was fantastic!

My family loved this recipe. I have to say it was very good. I didn't bother peeling the tomatoes. It's a great recipe thanks for sharing!

This was AWESOME!!! Easy to do. I also added skinless chicken breast cut in chunks moistened with water only and rolled in italian bread crumbs. Cooked in garlic and olive oil! DELICIOUS!

Truly amazing!! However, I used whole-wheat spaghetti (12 oz package), minced garlic (in a jar), dried basil, and a bit extra tomato paste. It turned out great and my brother (who doesn't particularly like spaghetti) said it was really good. I used fresh tomatoes, too, and it was GREAT!

This is so delicious. I followed the advice of some of the other users and increased the garlic by a clove and decreased the olive oil. It was absolutely fabulous. I will make this again and again.

I was tempted to give this a 3 star rating but I think I am possibly at fault for some of the results I had. I made this a week ago and am just getting around to rating so my memory isn't serving me too well when it comes to the proportions I used. I think I may have used too much pasta because I think this came out way to dry for my tastes. I was disappointed because I love the flavor of these ingredients so I thought I would be much happier with the results than I was. Maybe will try again.

I doubled the garlic and didn't have paste to use but it still came out good. My kids really enjoyed this dish. Will make again.

This "alla checha" recipe is excellent and a favorite. I especially like this recipe because of the technique described in Step 4. Do it this way. It really makes a difference. I usually add more fresh basil and, if it tastes a little sharp because of the paste, I add a bit of sugar. Like someone else said, use good olive oil, good tomatoes and fresh basil. I usually use thin spaghetti instead of angel hair because it is a bit easier to handle and hold up better. This recipe is excellent.

SO delicious. Used 8-9 cloves of garlic and fresh vine tomatoes

Very good, basic recipe.

This was very easy and delicious. I think roma tomatoes give the sauce the best flavor and texture. I doubled the garlic, because we love garlic. To save on dishes, carefully lift your tomatoes out of the boiling water and toss your pasta in to cook. We used whole wheat spaghetti, because that's what we had on hand, and it turned out really well.

I didn't think this was much to write home about at all. Rather bland if you ask me, but it is quick and easy. Wont make it again.

I had alot of tomatos to use up so I doubled this recipe and hoped it would turn out good! I love the freshness of it and the great taste too!

I had something at Macaroni Grille like this and have tried to re-create it ever since.. This recipe is almost identical, very very yummy. Keeper.

Made this to take to a picnic and the vegetarians really liked it. I didn't use as many tomatoes as called for and should have. Will do so next time. I'm actually think of making it again tomorrow, this time tossing in chunks of pan-seared zucchini. :)

I just made this recipe for dinner and my family loved it. I added sauteed mushroom and hot sausage to the sauce. I used store bought vine tomatoes. Delicious!

This was a good dish, it just wasn't as flavorful as I was hoping for. Even with all the spices, it seemed to be lacking. Still good, though.

We really like this recipe. It's a nice light pasta. It's definitely worth it to use fresh tomatoes.

Let me start by saying that my husband is Italian and is the designated sauce maker in this house. That said, occasionally, I venture into his territory as I did with this recipe and it is FABULOUS. I first found this when I was planning my New Year's Eve dinner party and wanted a pasta course that was simple and delicious - amazing. Since then, I've made it many times (and it's only March!) and I'm giving it 5 stars even though I haven't even been able to make it with fresh tomatoes yet. The only additions I made were about a teaspoon of dried basil and dried oregano into the oil when the garlic is cooking (the smell is AMAZING.) Considering it is winter, the tomatoes here look pretty paltry and I'm getting rave reviews even with high quality canned (San Marzano work well.) I can't wait to try it with fresh. Anyway, if you are looking for a simple and delicious pasta, where the freshness of the ingredients can shine through, you've found the only recipe you will ever need.

AMAZING!!! It tasted better than at the restaurant I oredered it from the week before. Perfect to make in the summer when the tomatoes are so sweet. I did not add the tomato paste because I felt the tomatoes were sweet enough to stand on their own. I'm so glad I didn't use it, however, in the winter I may because the tomatoes aren't as good. My entire family ate it up and the kids were begging for seconds, and thirds! I also added an extra clove of garlic because we love it. Very good, so fresh! This recipe is a keeper.

I thought this was a great recipe, and it was so simple! I had to use store Roma tomatoes, dried basil, and wheat pasta, but it still had a wonderful flavor. I will definitely make this again.

Delicious! Throw in some sun-dried tomatoes and its perfect. The sauce is soo good spread on Texas Toast.

Amazing recipe... can never get enough of the simple tomato pastas, and this one stands out as one of the best I've seen!

Fantastic recipe!! Absolutely love this one. We were blown away by just how good this tasted - and it's so light and summer-y! We only made one change - added about 100g of chicken breast for added protein (didn't want to use anymore chicken as it would overpower the tomato flavour).

Turned out great. I didn't have time to boil the tomatoes first and I didn't have any tomato paste, but it was still really good.

This was great. I used a fork and roasted the tomatoes over an open flame for about 20 seconds each. Much quicker way of peeling a tomato, just make sure you warm the entire tomato. My wife and 7 year old son loved it. We are going to use the left over sauce to make personal pizzas.

This pasta is so simple and absolutely yummy!! We so enjoyed this! The flavors come through really good. YUM!!!

This was amazing - sooo much flavour! My boyfriend said that it's the best spaghetti sauce he's ever had, and I agree.

Even though this recipe seems very time-consuming by peeling and dicing 2 pounds of tomatoes I bookmarked it anyway, figuring somehow I'd get around it. I did. I used 2 cans of Del Monte diced tomatoes already seasoned with basil, oregano and garlic and drained them before adding to the skillet. I also used 1/2 tbsp of dried basil instead of 1 tbsp of fresh. The meal wasn't bad, but I didn't think it was great. My husband liked it more than I did. I will admit that my shortcut methods probably made it less delicious. Still, it was quick and easy to make. I may make it again (still using my shortcuts) if I'm in a hurry for dinner.

I love this recipe.It is fresh,easy and tastes wonderful.i added it to my recipe box and whenever am in need for a fast and a delicious tasting dish i turn to this recipe.it is really yummy. so thanks Alma

This is delicious and SO SIMPLE. I always think that the more ingredients something has, the better it is...so I was reluctant to try this. But, I decided to give it a go based on the great reviews it received. YUM!! I must say, it's absolutely delicious. I used about 5 cloves of garlic and less olive oil as others recommended. Try it, it's so simple but SO GOOD.

I used canned tomatoes since I didn't have any fresh on hand. I also added fresh basil and rosemary right before serving it, and it was delicious. Great concept to play with if you have other fresh herbs to use up as well.

This was so delicious! Since I didn't have any tomato paste on hand, I used a lot of Prego spaghetti sauce instead. The garlic was perfect... it made the pasta taste better than some dishes I've had at restaurants!

This was pretty good, I will make a couple changes next time as it seemed to need a little more flavor and was dry.

I've made this several times now. And they always came beautiful and delicioso! I've tried to add some zucchini, jalapeños and they were gorgeous! I used baby roma tomatoes and didn't bother to peel them, plus i didn't add tomato paste and still it was awesome!

YUM! It needs more water for the sauce, and I added some mushrooms, and it made out of this world.

I made this with penne and love it. So much better than using store bought pasta sauce. Plus, its soo easy and quick! to add some extra spice to it, I usually put in chopped green chilies...

This is a great quick dish. I make it all summer with tomatoes and basil from the garden. Sometimes I add zucchini or peppers if I have them on hand. My whole family loves this dish!

This is absolutely fabulous. The only change I made was to add some chopped onion to the garlic (personal preference). Otherwise, it is perfect as written. Will make this over and over again. Everyone loved it!!! It sounds really simple, but the secret is in using all fresh ingredients.

Awesome recipe! Not every dish has to be bursting with complex flavors. Sometimes light and simple is the most satisfying and tasty! This is such a lovely dish as written, but just as easy to tweak to your liking. Add grilled chicken, shrimp, or veggies of your choice. Sautéed mushrooms are a nice addition as well. Just a great, delicious, versatile dish! Oh, one thing I do not do is add olive oil to my pasta. I find the other ingredients slip right off of the noodles if I add it. I just drain the pasta and add the other ingredients and they "stick" to the pasta much better this way.

After reading the reviews, I expected more. Still quite good though.

Very easy and very tasty! Great way to use the tomatoes from my garden!

OK use more garlic less tomato

Wonderful way to use garden tomatoes! I used basil-infused tomato paste and added a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end.

We thought this was just o.k. It needs some added spices to it. I don't think I'll be making this one again. Sorry!

There's nothing tastier this time of year than fresh tomato sauce and this one is one of the easiest I've come across. It's loaded with flavor!

Quick and easy dish. Tasted better the night I cooked it than as leftovers. I used Feta, which added a different twist to the traditional parm and was quite good.

I thought this was good. My fiance added some sugar to the tomato mixture, which made it a bit sweet, which we both enjoyed. I would definitely make this again.

This was wonderful & easy to make. I only had 2-big tomatoes so I used a can of stewed tomatoes also. Next time I will use more garlic & less olive oil.

This recipe made for a very delicious meal, and preparing it - although a rather lengthy process - was fun too! I only wish I had garden fresh tomatoes instead of store bought, and I kind of wish I had used more garlic. We added zucchini to the tomatoes which was a great addition. I'm usually not a huge fan of tomato sauce on pasta but I'll definitely make this again.

This was a wonderfully fresh, quick, and easy meal. Great garlic flavor and the fresh basil really makes it. Unfortunately, my tomatoes were not as sweet/ripe as I hoped. But, I followed the advice of another reviewer and put sweet balsamic glaze (not to be confused with balsamic vinegar) on top and it was awesome. The parmesan and balsamic glaze really took this dish to the next level.

This was GREAT! Tasted just like going out to a resteraunt! And so healthy too! Definitely going to remember this recipe!!

So simple and has a nice flavor. The whole family enjoyed this. A nice, very basic pasta recipe when you are in a time crunch. I off course added and increased herbs and spices to make it more to my liking. But if you like a more simple sauce then stick exactly to the recipe as is.

Great; light with plenty of authentic flavor. I substituted puree for the paste; I've found that the paste has a harsh flavor that you must overcome; not so with puree. You have to use four times as much, but you will be rewarded. The less you simmer the sauce, the fresher it will taste. still the simmering thicken the sauce - you pick it - what you smell is the flavor leaving the sauce. (Options: a small amount of well shopped onions will sweet the sauce as will pureed carrots).

Delicious! The tomatoes didn't take as long as I thought to "make". A simple and light meal!

I loved it, my husband thought it was pretty good (he said it was missing something). I added some crushed red pepper flakes because we like it spicy. We used linguine pasta (it's what we had) and fresh tomatoes (I'm sure it's much better than canned tomatoes this way). Mmmmm! Delicious and tastes, to me, like restaurant pasta. I'll definitely make this again. Thanks for the recipe!

followed exactly this recipe for 2 servings and turned out to be best tomato pasta i ever had, a great taste of summer and can't have enough!

This recipe was great and it was very easy to follow and make.

It could have used a bit more flavor. Next time I will add a few more herbs. Will make again.

This was clean out the cabinets and refrigerator week I had all the ingredients.I added a splash of balsamic as someone recommended,it woke up the flavors a bit.I also added extra garlic.This was served in pasta bowls,with a green salad and garlic bread making it a standout meal but not too complicated.

I do not cook much at all and this was super easy to make. I love that everything is fresh and its good as is or would be great with grilled chicken. That's what I plan to add the next time I make it.

Loved this! I did not cook the fresh tomatoes - just cut and put right in at the end. I used 1 1/2 lbs pasta and only used two large tomatoes and that was plenty for my taste. I will be making this again!

I always add a bunch of extra tomato paste to thicken up the sauce and a good handful of parmesan cheese. So fast and delicious!

Decent recipe. With a little tweaking on the flavor it could be a really good recipe.

Just made this for dinner. My family of five ate it but no one said it was good and my husband asked for the salt which he never usually does (indicating the lack of flavor).I used all fresh, ripe ingredients. Sorry but I won't be making this recipe again.

This is such a delicious dish! My husband said it was a keeper. So I made it again this week! It's so much more flavorful than any other marinara sauce that I've ever made! I think this is going to be a "traveling" recipe for my family! Thank you!

Made this recipe many times and it's always a perfect pasta dish, exactly as served in Italy. Quality ingredients treated simply. There is nothing to add to this recipe to make it better.

I will make this one again. Took about an hour to make, but it is healthy and delicious. I added some zucchini to snazz it up a bit. It was pretty good! Thanks for the recipe.

Light and refreshing. I followed the directions exactly and blanched the tomatoes, but for me it’s totally unnecessary. If you don’t mind eating the tomato skin, just chop ‘em up and toss ‘em directly into the skillet. You’ll save yourself a lot of time.

Changed up the recipe just a touch. Added another tblsp of paste, and a few red pepper flakes and a vetetable seasoning a splash of balsamic vinegar. Only used olive oil to cook the tomatoes in. Recipe is a great base. Family loved it.

Really good- I'm a garlic junky so I put at least 15 whole cloves in it which gave it extra flavor. I also added a bit of oregano. My whole family enjoyed this dish! I had some veggie thin spaghetti from Publix that my kids didn't even detect, so a yummy, healthy dinner for all. :)

This was fantastic! You really DO need to use fresh tomatoes in this recipe. It makes a big difference! It would be great, too, if you added some shrimp!

Very tasty!

Excellent!!! Used garden fresh tomatoes. I sautéed some chopped onion and jalapeño. Delicious!!

I tried this recipe and loved it. The fresh tomatoes falvour just enhanced the garlic. I also added mushroom and it was just divine!

This is great.. I've made it three times in as many weeks. I do use extra garlic (about 6-8 cloves) and extra basil (because I use dried). I also use a lot less olive oil and parm cheese because it just isn't necessary to use so much. I've also made it with grilled chicken and crushed red pepper and that is wonderful too.

excellent. I did add a splash of balsamic vinegar.

I made several improvements to this good recipe. 1. Boil water in a medium skillet. With a knife, cut a cross in each tomato, dump into boiling water : it takes 1 min. for the peel to come off. A great time saving over the current recipe; 2. Do not crush garlic and saute it : cut instead every clove in two and get rid of the green or white germ, which is what makes garlic less digestible. Hash garlic and keep aside (covered by plastic film to preserve its aroma). No need to saute it, as it quickly takes a less pleasant odor and taste.

This was really good. Definite keeper.

I thought that this was delicious and super easy to make. I added some garlic salt and it tasted great. This one is going in my binder of print outs!

Eh, this was just so-so. I think it could have used a few more spices... maybe some more fresh basil, oregano, red pepper seeds. Overall, very easy recipe. I might make again and add a few more things. Served with the easy pepperoni bread for a great dinner!

I love this recipe and have been making it for years with varying amounts of olive oil and butter. I totally agree that fresh garden tomatoes make this dish "to die for". I like the idea of adding tomato paste since winter tomatoes don't have much flavor. Very light and tasty dish.

This is the simplest and best place to start when it comes to making fresh pasta toppings. Variations include: Adding some nice peppers. Fresh or fried, Hot or sweet. add some sun dried tomatoes Toss the pasta on a bed of spinach Top with some gorgonzola Well you get the idea

This was great. I only gave 4 stars because I used canned diced tomato's and added some extra spices. I cannot wait to try with fresh garden tomato's. Thanks for sharing!