Red sauce pasta is a delicious pasta dish made with tomatoes, garlic, dried herbs and seasoning. Making Italian style red sauce is easy and quick for weeknight dinners just like my white sauce pasta. Make sure you serve red sauce pasta with garlic bread, roast chicken and caesar salad for a filling meal.
Red Sauce Pasta
This is one dish which I make quite often, at least once a week. Like all pasta, you can make red sauce pasta under 30 minutes which makes it a family favorite meal on busy days. This is my kids favourite pasta dish along with my Italian pasta, white sauce pasta and alfredo pasta.
This is a great dish to put in your kids lunch box because it keeps really well. Along with a fruit and veggies, it makes a complete meal.
About Red Sauce Pasta
Red sauce pasta is a simple tomato based sauce tossed over cooked pasta. It is also known as marinara pasta or tomato pasta. A simple tomato sauce aka red sauce is made with tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, dried herbs and seasonings. It is a basic classic dish served all over Italy and Italian restaurants.
Originally red sauce pasta is a vegetarian pasta dish made only with classic tomato sauce and cooked pasta. But when Italians migrated to America, they started incorporating ingredients which were available locally like meats and dairy products. Hence spaghetti with meatball, chicken alfredo, mac and cheese where born.
Similar Recipes
Homemade red sauce can be cooled, stored in glass jars in fridge upto a month. This sauce can be used to make pasta and pizzas. Check my homemade whole wheat pizza and chicken pizza for ideas.
Once you have this sauce handy, then dinner is a breeze. Customise pasta by adding cooked prawns, chicken, sautéed veggies, broccoli to the sauce for making a filling nutritious meal.
Red Sauce Pasta Ingredients
Pasta - I used penne in this recipe which is popularly used pasta. But you can use macaroni, fusilli and spaghetti.
Tomatoes - I used fresh tomatoes for making the sauce. There is nothing that can beat fresh puree. If you cannot find fresh, you can use canned or tinned tomatoes.
Tomato paste - to provide rich tomato flavour in the sauce. You can use homemade paste or canned.
Garlic - the amount used in this recipe totally depends to your taste. Add more or less according to your preference.
Olive Oil - good quality olive oil is the key for red sauce.
Dried Herbs - I used a combination of dried basil and dried oregano. You can use fresh basil if you can find it.
Seasonings - salt, sugar, pepper and red chilli flakes are the only seasoning used in this recipe.
Optional - You can use finely chopped onions in the red sauce which makes it delicious.
Which pasta to use
For making red sauce pasta, you can use any type of pasta including macaroni, spaghetti, penne, fusilli or linguine. I prefer using macaroni or penne as it is a type of dry pasta that is shaped like narrow tubes. So the sauce penetrates into the tubes and clings to the pasta. Always look for pasta made from durum wheat, cut in short lengths for better taste.
These two goes well with almost any sauce, baked recipes, soups, salads, or stir-fry dishes. Elbow macaroni is commonly used in macaroni and cheese dishes, but it is also a popular ingredient in pasta salads.
For healthier option, you can opt for whole wheat pasta, always choose artisanal variety of pasta for better taste and texture.
Whichever pasta you use, It is important to cook the pasta until "al dente". It means "have a bite to it". Literally translated as 'to the tooth', al dente is an Italian term used to describe the consistency of pasta when cooked.
The pasta should be cooked to the required amount of time so it doesn't get mushy or clumpy. Always check the package directions for pasta cooking time. Cooked al dente pasta is tossed in sauce and finished cooking in the sauce.
Step by Step Pictures
Homemade Tomato Puree
1)For making tomato puree to use in red sauce. Take tomatoes and chop them into pieces, add them to a blender and make it into a fine puree. Don't add water when grinding. Set aside till use.
Making Red Sauce
2)In a heavy bottom pan with a lid. Add in olive oil and turn on the heat.
3)Add in chopped garlic and let them heat through for 1 minute till it gets fragrant.
4)Now add in tomato paste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes till it gets caramelised.
5)Now you can see oil separating form the mixture and the tomato paste has fried in the oil.
Adding Tomato Puree.
6)Now pour in the freshly made tomato puree.
7)Mix well and bring it to a full boil.
8)Once it is mixed well, cover with a lid and cook on medium high heat for 8 to 10 minutes. The raw smell should be cooked.
9)After few minutes of cooking, open the lid, give a good mix.
Seasoning Red Sauce
10)Season the red sauce with salt and sugar to taste. Taste and adjust salt and sugar as needed. Cover and cook on low heat for 5 more minutes.
11)Sprinkle with dried herbs oregano, basil and red chilli flakes. Mix well.
12)Add in freshly ground black pepper powder.
13)Add in red chilli flakes. Mix this well and cook for 1 minute. Then switch off the heat.
14)Take it off the heat and allow them to cool completely before pouring into glass jars. You can store this in fridge upto a week or more.
Cooking Pasta
15)I make the sauce in advance, typically a day in advance or in bulk. Store the sauce in fridge for more than a week.
At the time of serving, cook your pasta fresh. For cooking pasta, you need dried pasta, water and salt.
16)Now cook your pasta. Bring lots of water to a full boil, add salt to taste.
17)Add in dry pasta into the boiling water and cook as per package directions.
18)Once pasta is cooked, before draining the pasta, remove some pasta cooking liquid for later use.
19)Now drain the pasta in a colander and set aside.
Making Red Sauce Pasta
20)For making red sauce pasta, simple add cooked pasta into the red sauce.
21)Pour the pasta cooking liquid to thin out the sauce and emulsify it. This step is very important, it helps with the creamy texture.
22)Toss pasta with the sauce till it is coated. Red sauce pasta is ready to serve. Enjoy immediately. You can sprinkle some cheese on top if needed.
Variations
Creamy Red Sauce Pasta
1) Creamy red sauce pasta which has addition of cream, parmesan to create a silky smooth mouth feel. Use around 2 cups of the prepared red sauce for the measurement. Take the sauce in a saute pan or frying pan. Add in some fresh cream.
2)Sprinkle freshly grated parmesan cheese over the sauce.
3)Now mix this together and heat it through. Cook till cheese is melted and sauce looks creamy. Once it is heated through, toss in cooked pasta and stir to combine.
6)Creamy red sauce pasta is ready to serve.
Cheesy Red Sauce Pasta (Baked & No Bake)
1)Use around 2 cups of the prepared red sauce for the measurement. First for flavour, Heat butter in a pan. Add in the pasta sauce and heat it gently.
2)Add in cream cheese and mozzarella cheese.
3)Once it is heated and the cheese is melted. Toss in cooked pasta. Add pasta cooking liquid if needed. mix well and serve as it is. But if you prefer to bake, you can proceed below.
4)For baking, transfer the pasta to a baking dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.
5)Place it inside a 200 degree C preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
📖 Get Recipe
Red Sauce Pasta Recipe (Red Pasta Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
Red Sauce for Pasta
- 3 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 10 cloves Garlic chopped finely
- 3 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 500 grams Tomatoes
- 2 teaspoon Sugar
- 2 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper Powder
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Dried Basil
- 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Flakes
For Cooking Pasta
- 2½ cups Dried Pasta 250 grams
- 2 teaspoon Salt
- 6 cups Water
Instructions
- For making red sauce pasta. You have to start by chopped garlic very finely, remove them to a bowl and set aside. For making tomato puree, take tomatoes and chop them into pieces, add them to a blender and make it into a fine puree. Don't add water when grinding. Set aside till use.
- In a heavy bottom pan with a lid. Add in olive oil and turn on the heat. Add in chopped garlic and let them heat through for 1 minute till gets fragrant. Now add in tomato paste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes till it gets caramelised and raw smell leaves from it.
- Pour in the freshly made tomato puree and mix well. Once it is mixed well, cover with a lid and cook on medium high heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Now open the lid, give a good mix. Season the red sauce with salt and sugar to taste. Taste and adjust salt and sugar as needed. Cover and cook on low heat for 5 more minutes.
- Sprinkle with dried herbs oregano, basil, pepper and red chilli flakes. Mix well. Take it off the heat and allow them to cool completely before pouring into glass jars. You can store this in fridge upto a week or more.
- Now cook your pasta. Bring lots of water to a full boil, add salt to taste. Add in dry pasta into the boiling water and cook as per package directions. Once pasta is cooked, before draining the pasta, remove some pasta cooking liquid for later use. Now drain the pasta in a colander and set aside.
- For making red sauce pasta, simple add cooked pasta into the red sauce along with pasta cooking water and toss well. Red sauce pasta is ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- If you don't have fresh tomatoes, you can use canned or tinned tomatoes. You might need to add 2 cans of whole peeled tomatoes.
- You can add less garlic if you prefer milder taste. Also you can add more chilli flakes if you like it spicy.
- Chopped onions or shallots can be added in the sauce for flavour.
- You can add cheese when you add cooked pasta into the red sauce for cheesy pasta.
- Use sweet variety of tomatoes for better taste in pasta.
- Never skip pasta cooking water, as it emulsify the sauce and makes it cling to the pasta. Cooked vegetables like sweetcorn, peas, carrots, green beans, broccoli can be added in the sauce. Similarly you can use cooked chicken and prawns in the pasta.
Sam
Made it several times by now and it’s a really nice recipe... my toddler loves it!!!
Pushpa singh
veri nice post
Silvia
This recipe immediately became a family favourite. The only change we made was adding 5 fillets of anchovy and about 1Tbsp of the oil they were submerged in. No fish flavour comes through but you will be left craving the umami from them. Delicious without, but even better with.