Pasta with marinara sauce
A simple pasta with marinara sauce is a breeze to make. A great staple recipe to have in your back pocket for a quick weeknight dinner. With a few simple ingredients you can have this delicious sauce bubbling away in no time.
Servings 2 people
Calories 480kcal
Ingredients
- 150 grams penne pasta or other favorite pasta of your choice
For the sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion white or brown diced
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped or grated
- 1 x 400 gram tin whole tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt I use diamond crystal kosher salt
- ½ cup black pitted olives cut in half
- Parmesan to serve
For the roast cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a pot of well salted boiling water, undercooking by a minute from package instructions. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.
Make the sauce
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat then add the diced onion. Cook for 5 minutes stirring often until the onion is softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
- Add the tomatoes and use a potato masher to break them down.
- Bring to a very gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the sugar, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and olives and mix.
- Simmer very gently for 20 - 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Make the roast cherry tomatoes
- Preheat your oven to 400f (200c).
- Toss the cherry tomatoes with the olive oil and salt and place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
- Roast for 10 minutes until they start to blister.
- Set aside.
To finish
- Add ¼ cup of pasta water to the sauce and mix well.
- Add the cooked pasta straight into the sauce and mix well.
- Let it gently bubble away for a minute or so.
- Serve with the cherry tomatoes on top and plenty of freshly grated parmesan.
Notes
- Tomatoes - I like to use whole canned tomatoes and blend them in a food processor. You could use a tomato passata if you prefer.
- Olives - Use any olives you like and cut in half or leave whole.
- Pasta - I always undercook dried pasta by a minute from package instructions so it can bubble away in the sauce.
- Salt - I use diamond crystal kosher salt, if using table salt use half or ¼ teaspoon.