Grated Tomato Pasta Recipe (2024)

By Ham El-Waylly

Updated Oct. 11, 2023

Grated Tomato Pasta Recipe (1)

Total Time
40 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(874)
Notes
Read community notes

It’s tough to highlight peak summer tomatoes in pasta. To make the most out of their bright flavor, summer tomatoes should be minimally cooked. This recipe gently warms the fruit, so they keep their acidity and succulence. Since the tomato hasn’t had the liquid cooked out, it doesn’t cling to the spaghetti the way a cooked pomodoro would, but this keeps the dish light and bright, and makes it perfect for a hot summer day. Be sure to serve with plenty of bread to sop up the cheesy sauce that is left behind at the bottom of the bowl. If juicy, ripe tomatoes aren’t around, swap out for cherry tomatoes and blend them instead of grating to get a similar effect.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • Salt
  • 12ounces spaghetti (about ¾ box)
  • 4large ripe beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes
  • cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 1cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
  • ½cup basil leaves, plus more for garnish

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

653 calories; 29 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 16 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 72 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 26 grams protein; 697 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Grated Tomato Pasta Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Over high heat, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta to the water and boil 1 minute less than package instructions, or until the spaghetti has a very tiny dry core when cut in half.

  2. Step

    2

    While the pasta cooks, trim the bottom of the tomatoes and core them. Using the large holes on the box grater, grate the trimmed side of the tomato into a large bowl until nothing but skins remain. Discard skins.

  3. Transfer the pasta to a colander to drain, then return the pot to medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and garlic and cook, frequently stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.

  4. Step

    4

    Add the grated tomatoes and season with a large pinch of salt. As soon as the mixture comes up to a simmer (about 3 minutes), turn off the heat and add the spaghetti and half the Parmesan. Stir vigorously until the spaghetti is coated in sauce and the Parmesan has melted.

  5. Step

    5

    Add the rest of the Parmesan and the basil leaves and stir vigorously until the rest of the cheese has melted. Taste the sauce and adjust with more salt as needed.

  6. Step

    6

    Divide among four bowls, spooning over any tomato liquid left in the pot. Top with more Parmesan and basil and serve immediately.

Ratings

4

out of 5

874

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

MPG

Grating tomatoes is actually very easy. Cut in half at the equator and then put the cut side against the grater. The skin of the tomato will protect your fingers!

Leonard Davenport

Long time ago, I discovered that if you dice tomatoes, ripe fresh tomatoes, put them in a container, freeze, defrost, press-strain (save the tomato water, which is good for other purposes), add basil and other seasoning, EVO or butter, cook briefly, then you get a fresh tomato sauce that clings better without overcooking. You can seriously reduce the tomato water with garlic and oil and add that to sauce.

Steve

One Spanish toast breakfast I learned from a Spaniard, is drizzle olive oil over toast then plop on some grated tomato, top w/ a slice of cheese and a slice of ham or salami. Quick, easy and surprisingly good.

Heather

Similar to how I make pasta sauce from the garden. I use a second pan, starting the sauce in a wide frying pan while the pasta is cooking. As soon as the garlic is fragrant, add diced onion (white, red, yellow, sweet - any will do). Once most of the onion has turned translucent, grate the tomatoes straight into the pan. When the onions are fully cooked, add ribbons of basil. Turn off the heat, mix, add cheese, serve. As Kate notes, very versatile and accepts other summer veggies beautifully.

Annie

I wait patiently every summer for beefsteak or any heirloom tomatoes. I cut then into chunks put them in my blender with salt and fresh cloves of garlic and a handful of fresh basil. I blend it and then pour it over hot cooked spaghetti then add grated cheese. Its delish. We call it raw sauce.

Doug C.

Hmmm! A few years ago one of the leading culinary magazines or websites experimented with tomatoes, preparing simple dishes (1) with peeled & cored tomatoes and (2) with whole, unpeeled, ungutted tomatoes, then blind tasted of the results. Their conclusion was that the whole tomatoes produce better, stronger tomato flavor than do butchered tomatoes. Based on that, I gave it a try, and I haven't looked back. The only reason to peel and core tomatoes is appearance, which is seldom an issue for me.

Alice

A food mill, using the coarsest disk, would give the same results without skinning your fingers.Also, weights for the tomatoes and Parmesan would be helpful.

PattyB

I think theyre better roughly chopped and sauté briefly til break down but not mush.I sauté chopping onion and minced garlic in olive oil first. Then add tomatoes. I fold in the snipped basil when sauce finished. Only add bit of fresh parm. Save pasta water to thin.

Kate

Go gently with the grater:) we opted to add other summer vegetables and switched to rigatoni to match the chunkier sauce. Great for a one pot meal.

Julie

Grating tomatoes for this sauce and freezing it in small freezer bags works really well as tomatoes start to ripen from the garden. You don’t have to wait until you have a large amount to process. Then just thaw a bag or two and you have a quick marinara sauce.

dimmerswitch

This is wonderful made as the recipe is written. Summer in a pasta bowl. "Aaaahhh.." some. Grating ripe summer tomatoes on a box grater was game changer technique for me when I learned it from a NYT Cooking recipe from David Tanis 5 years ago. If you like this dish, who wouldn't, you might try that one too. Title: Quick Fresh Tomato Sauce on this site.

Richard

For me, and probably for many others, a ripe summer tomato has "enough" flavor. At this time of year, sub-par tomatoes don't have enough of anything.

Mom2aSweetP

My mother, a home economist, used to pour boiling water over tomatoes to remove the skin (scoring them with an X at the top first helps). Then she would chop them up and sometimes drain in a colander with salt.

Jo-Ellen

I’m wondering if you could just quickly blanch the tomatoes and peel and core them.

janisani

loved this! after it was all prepared, there was really quite a bit of liquid. I left the lid on, off the heat, for about 10 minutes. most of the liquid was absorbed by then. still rather juicy, which I enjoyed. you will need excellent tomatoes, or don't try this recipe!

Lulu103

I was looking for a pasta pomodoro recipe and came across this. Delicious, easy, and it really lets you taste the tomatoes. I was too lazy to core them, but it still came out amazing and fresh tasting. Can't wait to make it again!

Cheese?

Not vegan with the parmesan, you can omit or buy the weird vegan cheese. 🙂

PKLotus

I’ve now made this 3 times. yes, grate the tomatoes (v blender). Not sure why but it’s worth it. I used san marzanos bc that’s what we grew (18). I used equiv of 4 very large cloves of garlic. I warmed the EVOO, let the garlic infuse, added red pepper flakes, then tomatoes (juice too) and basil. Just warmed it. The Key: refrig overnight. Cooked spaghetti 3 mins shy of min time on pkg; drained, back to pot w tomato sauce. Finished cooking pasta. Added chs in bowls. Was perfect!

SkyBear

I like a little spice with my pasta so I minced a hot pepper and a couple of anchovies and sautéed that with the garlic. Used Romano cheese instead since I didn’t have Parmesan. Very good as well as quick. Will make this again

Dallas

I added 4-5 more garlic cloves, and it resulted into a delicious garlicky, tomato concoction. I also added asiago and parmesan cheese.

Charles D

Not my favorite technique. Tried this with angel hair pasta; I ended up with one big glop.

Victoria

This is now in my regular rotation when tomatoes are good, in fact I'll probably have it tonight. So easy, delicious, and quick exactly as written.

Carolyn

Use a frying pan or sauce pan to simmer the grated tomates instead of the noodle helps drive a bit more moisture off the tomatoes. Delish at room temp as leftovers.

Gail

How do you keep the cheese from sticking to the pan? Really good parm doesn’t seem to melt!

Carrie

Surprisingly flavorful and summer fresh!

JG

This was the lowest ratio of effort to deliciousness I have ever encountered. There was leftover sauce at the bottom of the bowl and I drank it.

Pat C

Go easy on the garlic! It was too strong for the gentle tomato sauce.

Jonathan

WOW this was good. I expected it to be sort of watery like one of the commenters complained, but it was more of a perfectly-coating very light red sauce, and it tasted SO good. This will be the go to for garden and CSA tomatoes going forward.

CEM

Didn't like this. Didn't think it had enough flavor.

Bonne

Can I freeze the grated tomatoes for future use?

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Grated Tomato Pasta Recipe (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 grate tomatoes for sauce? ›

Slice a thin round off the bottom of each tomato. Starting at cut end, grate tomatoes on the largest holes of a grater over a medium bowl until all that's left is the flattened tomato skin and stem; discard. Season grated flesh with several generous pinches of salt.

How do you upgrade tomato pasta? ›

A generous sprig or two of fresh herbs like basil, parsley, rosemary, or sage can all amp up the flavor of a jarred pasta sauce. Alternatively, some of those herbs, like parsley, sage, and rosemary, can be great minced up and gently fried into fresh olive oil before adding the sauce to the pot.

Why does my tomato pasta taste bitter? ›

That bitterness could be acid from the tomatoes and one way people typically fix that is by adding a small amount of sugar.

How do you pimp up pasta? ›

Toss the cooked pasta and pesto sauce together. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top and extra grated Parmesan. Bake at 180c for 10 mins until golden brown or grill if you like it nice and crispy. Drizzle a generous glug of olive oil on top once served and enjoy!

How to jazz up boring pasta? ›

Fresh or dried herbs will also add flavor to pasta dishes.

"I use a lot of parsley, either fresh or even dried," Montillo said. "Oregano, garlic powder, onion flakes, black pepper all work well in a variety of sauces."

How do you jazz up jar spaghetti? ›

Jarred tomato sauce is a supermarket staple and a quick, affordable dinner fix with many uses. Add fresh herbs to finish, or brown meat, onions, shallots, and/or garlic before heating the sauce. To add texture or change the flavor profile, add vegetables like red peppers or eggplant.

Do Italians peel tomatoes for sauce? ›

Peeled tomatoes are the basis for many Italian dishes, beginning with the most typical dishes like those served with ragù, amatriciana or peperonata sauces, including meatballs simmered in sauce. Even a very simple tomato and basil sauce is made with peeled tomatoes, so this product is a staple in Italian pantries.

What happens if you don't peel tomatoes for sauce? ›

The tomato skin is a different texture from the tomato flesh, and will remain so in sauces and purées—you'll get tiny chunks of skin instead of an uniformly smooth mixture. Moreover, the tomato skin is heavy in a kind of nutrient called flavonols, which impart a bitter flavor.

Do you have to remove seeds from tomatoes for sauce? ›

You don't need to worry about removing the seeds if you're making a soup or sauce. The seeds will actually add an extra dimension to your dish and if you blend well you won't have to worry about them getting stuck in your teeth. It's a different story if you're making a salad, salsa, omelette or casserole.

Why do Italians put sugar in spaghetti sauce? ›

Up until the early 1900s, the U.S. had a limited tomato supply, and it didn't stack up to Italian standards. It is widely held that Italian immigrants began adding sugar to their sauce to make up for the overly acidic tomatoes they were forced to work with in their new home.

What is the secret to good tomato sauce? ›

Starting with good quality tomatoes and crushing them by hand offers great flavor and texture later on. The combination of butter and oil releases fat-soluble aromatics and gives the sauce a creamy texture. Slowly cooking the sauce in the oven creates rich caramelization without burning.

Why do Italians put carrots in spaghetti sauce? ›

This authentic Italian Pasta Sauce recipe is filled with fresh herbs and Italian tomatoes. The addition of carrots gives the sauce the perfect amount of sweetness without needing sugar. This tomato sauce recipe goes great with your favorite type of pasta and is perfect for Sunday dinners.

What can I add to pasta to make it more flavorful? ›

18–22. Herbs and spices
  1. Basil. Basil is a flavorful herb and a mainstay in many Italian dishes, including pasta. ...
  2. Oregano. Oregano is a culinary herb known for its peppery and pungent taste. ...
  3. Rosemary. ...
  4. Red pepper flakes. ...
  5. Garlic powder.
Apr 11, 2022

What can I add to pasta to make it taste nice? ›

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.

How do you upgrade pasta and tomato sauce? ›

Taste the sauce once it's warm and add some seasoning. Maybe it needs a touch of salt, red pepper flakes, or some fresh garlic to liven it up. You could add dried or fresh herbs too: oregano, basil, thyme, tarragon, parsley—they're all great!

How to sweeten tomato pasta sauce? ›

If the reason you're wanting to “sweeten” the sauce is because the tomato is too tart [highly acidic] then a pinch of baking soda should do the trick. Or if you really like your sauce sweet for the sake of sweetness, then add a carrot or bit of sweet potato while it's cooking.

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