Inspired by Italian Pomodoro sauce and pangrattato, this rich tomato pantry pasta features a crispy parmesan breadcrumb topping. It’s a perfect lazy-day type of meal made with pantry essentials. Plus the recipe is adaptable to swap in what you’ve got on hand.
A bowl of this inviting pasta is bound to warm you from the inside out, especially in those winter months. Pasta is one of my favourite comfort foods and this recipe is all kinds of cosy with bundles of flavour.
Recipe adapted from Epicurious’ recipe for ‘The Best Tomato Sauce You’ll Ever Make’.
Ingredients You’ll Need to make this Rich Tomato Pantry Pasta
Here’s a list of the pantry essentials you’ll need on hand to whip up this tasty pasta…
Rich Tomato Pasta Sauce
- Olive Oil: Kicks off the cooking process, add a generous drizzling to cook the garlic.
- Garlic Cloves: lightly crushed and cooked until golden in the olive oil to infuse flavour into the tomatoes. All you have to do is use the side of a knife to press the whole garlic clove, remove the skin and tada perfectly crushed garlic ready to use.
- Whole Peeled Canned Tomatoes: the base of the sauce. We’re opting for canned over fresh tomatoes for this pantry pasta. If you haven’t got whole tomatoes, I’ve also made this recipe with other canned tomatoes such as canned cherry tomatoes and it works just as well. It is important, however, to find quality canned tomatoes. As there are so few ingredients in the sauce, it’s easy to tell if the tomatoes don’t deliver on the flavour.
- Parmesan rind: for another layer of flavour that deepens the sauce. Fun fact: the parmesan rind is edible and delicious to eat after it’s infused its flavours into the tomatoes. It’s chewy cheesy goodness that you’ll just have to try for yourself!
- Basil Stems: adds herbaceousness to the sauce, stir in stem and all. I like to remove the stems once the sauce has finished cooking.
Related: Essential culinary herbs
- Seasoning: aka salt and pepper. This helps balance the flavours of the sauce once it has thickened and reduced. If the sauce appears too acidic, a touch more seasoning can round out the flavours.
Pasta
- Dried Tagliatelle: this was the type of pasta I happened to have in my pantry. You’re welcome to swap this out for your favourite variety of pasta you’ve got on hand. Spaghetti is a perfect one to soak up this tempting tomato sauce. You’re probably going to think I keep harping on about quality when I say that you’re going to need quality pasta for this recipe. It makes a difference, both in texture and taste.
Parmesan Breadcrumbs
- Shallot: for a touch of subtle sweetness and savouriness. You could substitute this for half a small brown or red onion.
- Fresh Breadcrumbs: ideally this comes from a slice of stale bread. I like to use a grater to grate a slice of bread into small breadcrumb bits. Those crusty end bits of your bread loaf are perfect for this and great for less wastage!
- Grated Parmesan: adds a cheesy umaminess. When added to the warm toasted breadcrumbs the parmesan melts and creates wonderfully delicious crispy clusters.
- Handful of fresh herbs: use what you’ve got handy. Here I’m using some fresh chives. In a pinch, you could use a teaspoon of dried herbs such as parsley, basil or even oregano.
Garnish
- Fresh Basil: an optional finishing touch for a splash of green and an extra level of flavour.
How to Make This Pantry Pasta
Follow the steps below and you’re on your way to a hearty wholesome meal…
Make the Tomato Sauce
- Start by heating a generous drizzle of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Add the garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes or until lovely and golden. This will help to infuse the oil with the subtle garlic flavour.
- Pour in the canned tomatoes, juice and all, then add the parmesan rind and basil stems.
- Bring up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until thickened and reduced.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Use a stick blender to blend the tomato sauce until smooth. For a more rustic chunky sauce, you could skip this step if you so desire.
Cook the pasta
- Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. For the particular pasta I’m using it only took 6 minutes. Some pasta can take up to 10-12 minutes.
- Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of the cooking liquid. If timed correctly you could directly transfer the pasta from the hot water into your tomato sauce. That way there are fewer dishes to clean and you have convenient access to all the cooking liquid necessary.
Make the Parmesan Breadcrumbs
- Heat a drizzle of oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion for 2-3 minutes or until translucent.
- Add the breadcrumbs and cook for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove the frying pan from the heat and stir through the parmesan and chopped herbs.
Toss the Pasta Through the Tomato Sauce
- Add the pasta to the saucepan of tomato sauce and toss to combine with a little of the pasta cooking liquid. Adding the cooking liquid helps to loosen the sauce to evenly coat the strands of pasta and it extra velvety smooth.
Garnish and Serve
- Divide the pasta into bowls and sprinkle over the parmesan crumb.
- Garnish with basil leaves to serve. Enjoy while hot!
MORE Savoury Recipes…
- Brown Butter Miso Maple Baked Salmon
- Nectarine Caprese Simple Summer Salad
- Fried Eggs with Savoury Yoghurt, Corn and Chilli Butter
- Focaccia Bread with black garlic, cherry tomato and basil
- Homemade Labneh with Fresh Tomato and Almond Dukkah
- The Fluffiest Feta Spinach and Pesto Twist Bread
- Green Salad with Grilled Corn and Spicy Lime Crema
Rich Tomato Pantry Pasta with Parmesan Breadcrumbs
Indulge in a bowl of this wonderfully warming pasta tossed through a homemade rich tomato sauce and topped with crispy parmesan breadcrumbs. Made with pantry staples and infused with hearty umami flavours, it's irresistible as a cosy winter-ready meal.
Ingredients
Rich Tomato Pasta Sauce
- Olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 cans (800g) whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 parmesan rind
- 2 basil stems
- salt and pepper
Pasta
- 250g dried tagliatelle
Parmesan Breadcrumbs
- 1 shallot finely diced
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan
- a handful of fresh herbs
Garnish
- basil leaves
Instructions
Rich Tomato Sauce
- Heat a large saucepan to medium-high heat.
- Add a generous drizzle of olive oil and cook the garlic for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
- Pour in the peeled tomatoes with the juice and add the basil and parmesan rind.
- Stir to combine, then bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and reduced.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Use a stick blender to blend the tomato sauce until smooth.
Pasta
- Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
- Drain the pasta and reserve a cup of the cooking liquid.
- Toss the pasta through the tomato sauce with a little of the reserved cooking liquid to loosen as desired.
Parmesan Breadcrumbs
- Heat a small frying pan to medium-high heat.
- Add a drizzle of oil and saute the onion for 2-3 minutes or until softened.
- Stir through the breadcrumbs and cook for a further 3-5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from the heat and stir through parmesan and herbs.
Garnish
- Divide the pasta into bowls and sprinkle over the parmesan breadcrumbs.
- Garnish with basil leaves to serve.
If you give this rich tomato pantry pasta recipe a go, don’t forget to tag @theculinaryletter and #theculinaryletter so that I can see all your wonderful creations!
Until next time, stay curious!
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