Winter pasta with sauce

On chilly days, I sometimes find a bag of winter-shaped pasta in the cupboard: snowflakes, snowmen, sleds, little houses. I use them when I don't feel like complicating things, especially if I already have a jar of tomato sauce made beforehand. This pasta is a bit thicker, so I always calculate more time for boiling. Parmesan is optional, but I usually add it.

Quick Info

Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Difficulty: easy

Ingredients

- 500 g durum wheat pasta (winter shapes or any other thicker type)
- 500 ml tomato sauce with basil (preferably homemade)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (for mixing and flavor)
- 1 teaspoon salt (for boiling water)
- 30-50 g grated parmesan (or to taste, optional)

Preparation Method

1. Put a large pot with 3-4 liters of water to boil. When it starts to boil, add the salt, then the pasta. Don't put the pasta in cold water, otherwise the texture won't turn out right.
2. Stir at the beginning so they don't stick together. Thick-shaped pasta needs at least 14-16 minutes to boil completely. Taste after 13-14 minutes to check if they are cooked to your liking.
3. While the pasta is boiling, gently warm the tomato sauce in a small saucepan over low heat. It shouldn't boil vigorously, just be warm. If the sauce is too thick, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water.
4. When the pasta is ready, drain it well. Don't rinse with cold water, as it will lose its texture.
5. Put it back in the pot (or in a large bowl), add the olive oil, and mix gently. Then pour the warm tomato sauce over it and mix again.
6. Serve immediately, with grated parmesan on top, to taste. If you don't use parmesan, it's fine without it.

Why I make this recipe often

It's quick, has simple ingredients, and doesn't require much attention. It's great when you don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen, especially in winter. The homemade tomato sauce keeps in the fridge for a few days, so I always have it on hand for a hearty meal.

Tips

- Thick-shaped pasta doesn't cook quickly, patience is required while boiling, otherwise, they remain hard inside.
- If the pasta sticks after draining, olive oil separates them quickly.
- For a fresher taste, you can add freshly chopped basil at the end.
- Try to use homemade tomato sauce or a sauce with few ingredients.

Substitutions

- Winter pasta can be replaced with any short and thick pasta: penne, fusilli, farfalle.
- Parmesan can be replaced with Grana Padano or omitted altogether.
- If you don't have basil tomato sauce, use simple tomato sauce and add a bit of dried or fresh basil.

Variations

- You can add sliced black olives or a few capers to the sauce for more flavor.
- For a vegan version, skip the parmesan or use nutritional yeast.
- If you have it on hand, you can also add a bit of minced garlic to the sauce, warmed very gently.

Serving Ideas

- Serve them immediately after mixing with the sauce while they are warm.
- They can go well with a green salad or a simple raw vegetable salad.
- Leftovers can be packed for the next day.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How thick can the pasta be for the recipe to turn out well?
Thick-shaped pasta is best because it holds the sauce well and doesn't become mushy quickly. Any type of short but thicker pasta works.

2. Can I use store-bought tomato sauce?
Yes, if you don't have time to make it at home, you can use a simple tomato sauce without artificial flavors. Add basil or a bit of garlic if you want to enhance the flavor.

3. How do I check if the pasta is cooked enough?
Taste one or two after 14 minutes. If they are no longer hard in the middle, they are ready. For very thick shapes, sometimes they may need another 1-2 minutes.

4. Can vegan cheese be used instead of parmesan?
Yes, there are vegan cheese options or nutritional yeast for added flavor.

5. What do I do if the sauce is too runny?
Let it reduce over low heat, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes until it reaches the desired texture.

Nutritional Values (per serving)

- Approximately 380-410 kcal
- 70-75 g carbohydrates
- 11-13 g protein
- 7-9 g fat (depending on how much oil and parmesan you use)

Most of the calories come from the pasta. The parmesan and olive oil add a little fat and more satiety.

Storage and Reheating

Pasta with sauce keeps in the fridge, in a covered container, for a maximum of 2 days. When reheating, add 1-2 tablespoons of water over it and heat over low heat or in the microwave. I do not recommend freezing, as the texture will not be the same after thawing.

We put the pasta to boil in salted water when it is boiling. Because they are thick, they need to be left to boil for more than 8 minutes (I boiled them for over 15 minutes). After boiling, we drain them, and once they are well drained, we toss them into a bowl and mix them with olive oil and tomato sauce, then serve them on a plate with parmesan on top. Delicious!! For those who wish, they can omit the parmesan.

 Ingredients: 1 bag of pasta 1 jar of tomato sauce with basil (made by me) salt 3 tablespoons of olive oil parmesan

 Tags:  pasta with tomato sauce