30 Minute Weeknight Meals: Pasta Pomodoro

As a child, my favorite meal was spaghetti. I ordered spaghetti from Bob's Big Boy, spaghetti from Ihop, wouldn't agree to a family outing unless spaghetti was on the menu, and celebrated every birthday at The Spaghetti Factory. As I grew older, I started to experiment and fall in love with other pasta dishes [which is why there are so many variations on my site, I will switch it up soon I promise], and Pasta Pomodoro remains one of my favorite to date.

This dish is light, yet fulfilling with or without the addition of meat. Don't let the simplicity of the ingredients and this recipe fool you, it is highly flavorsome. If you're looking for a quick, delicious, healthy weeknight meal that can be prepared on a budget, try this on for size!

I recommend using fresh Parmesan Cheese in lieu of the powdered variety, or even Parmigiano Reggiano if you want to splurge. Also I find that fresh tomatoes work much better versus canned tomatoes. I actually took the recommendation of one of the reviews and purchased Campari Tomatoes instead of the Roma Tomatoes the recipe called for. The substitution of Campari Tomatoes made for a rich, fresher tasting sauce. 

 

Pasta Pomodoro [Adapted from All Recipes.Com]

Ingredients

2 (8 ounce) packages angel hair pasta

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups Campari Tomatoes, diced

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 (10.75 ounce) can low-sodium chicken broth

crushed red pepper to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Pour olive oil in a large deep skillet over high-heat. Saute onions and garlic until lightly browned. Reduce heat to medium-high and add tomatoes, vinegar and chicken broth; simmer for about 8 minutes.
3. Stir in red pepper, black pepper, basil and cooked pasta, tossing thoroughly with sauce. Simmer for about 5 more minutes and serve topped with grated Parm cheese.

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