Name: Fusilli al Pomodoro e Basilico
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 0 salt; 0 parmigiano reggiano; 360 g fusilli; 400 g tomato passata; 1 clove garlic; 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 8 piece basil

Fusilli al Pomodoro e Basilico

Fusilli spirals tossed in a fresh tomato and basil sauce, the kind of plate that defines weeknight Italian cooking from north to south.

🥬Vegetarian

🇮🇹 Italy ·Europe · $

10 min Prep

20 min Cook

30 min Total

4 portions

Fusilli al Pomodoro e Basilico is one of the simplest and most beloved pasta dishes in Italy, eaten in homes from Milan to Naples. The sauce starts with good olive oil gently flavored with garlic, then ripe tomatoes or passata cooked just long enough to thicken and concentrate. Fresh basil goes in near the end so its aroma stays bright rather than cooking away. The corkscrew shape of the fusilli is the point here, since the spirals trap the sauce in their grooves and carry it to every bite. A final drizzle of raw extra-virgin olive oil pulls the dish together and adds a fruity, peppery finish. Quality is everything when the ingredient list is this short, so the best tomatoes and oil you can find will make the biggest difference. It is naturally vegetarian, and a little grated parmigiano on top is optional but welcome.

Ingredients

360 g fusilli

400 g tomato passata or 400 g ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 clove garlic peeled, halved, green core removed

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil plus extra raw oil to finish

8 piece basil fresh leaves, torn by hand

0 salt to taste, plus coarse salt for the pasta water

0 parmigiano reggiano grated, to taste (optional)

Ingredients

4 portions

360 gfusilli

400 gtomato passata or 400 g ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 clovegarlic peeled, halved, green core removed

3 tbspextra-virgin olive oil plus extra raw oil to finish

8 piecebasil fresh leaves, torn by hand

salt to taste, plus coarse salt for the pasta water

parmigiano reggiano grated, to taste (optional)

Instructions

Make the sauce

1

Peel the garlic, cut it in half lengthwise, and remove the green central core so the sauce stays sweet. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a wide pan over medium-low heat and let the garlic flavor the oil for a couple of minutes without letting it color.
~3 min
2

Add the passata, or the peeled and chopped fresh tomatoes, along with a pinch of salt. Stir, then drop in half of the torn basil leaves.
~2 min
3

Lower the heat and simmer gently, stirring now and then, until the sauce thickens and turns glossy. Taste and adjust the salt. Remove the garlic halves if you prefer a milder result.
~12 min

Cook and finish the pasta

1

While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it generously. Add the fusilli and cook until al dente, a minute short of the package time. Reserve a cup of the starchy cooking water before draining.
~10 min
2

Drain the fusilli and tip them into the pan with the sauce. Toss over medium heat for a minute so the spirals catch the sauce, loosening with a splash of pasta water if it looks tight.
~2 min
3

Off the heat, stir through the remaining torn basil and a drizzle of raw extra-virgin olive oil. Serve at once, with grated parmigiano reggiano on top if you like.
~1 min

Credits & Inspiration

Wikipedia: Pasta al pomodoro
Background on the dish's origins and its character as a light, quick first course.
Mutti
Tomato and basil sauce recipe confirming the late addition of basil and optional parmigiano.
Allacciate il Grembiule (GialloZafferano)
Italian-language recipe for fresh tomato and basil pasta, source for the garlic-in-oil base and simmer timing.
Vincenzo's Plate
Authentic Italian method covering al dente cooking, finishing pasta in the sauce, and a raw olive oil finish.