I recently wrote about spaghetti with melted tomatoes and kale. Since then, many readers have asked whether kale was part of the tomato sauce my father used to make. It wasn’t — his sauce was a simple, pure tomato sauce. I added kale later out of my own kale enthusiasm. Below is a streamlined, quick version of that classic tomato sauce.
Undoubtedly, the best sauce comes from peeling, chopping and simmering fresh tomatoes for hours. In a busy week that’s rarely practical, so after much testing I developed a much quicker method that still delivers rich tomato flavor with minimal effort.
Here it is: the fast version of my childhood favorite, spaghetti with cherry tomato sauce. You can add other vegetables, serve it with zucchini noodles or whole-grain pasta, but this greedy vegan prefers long, white spaghetti drenched in red sauce and finished with a sprinkle of vegan parmesan — pure nostalgia.
Spaghetti with Cherry Tomato Sauce
The Greedy Vegan
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Pasta
Cuisine Vegan
Servings 2 Portions
Calories 330 kcal
Ingredients
- 160 g 6 ounces spaghetti, gluten-free if preferred
- 400 g 4 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or use half the amount if dry
- pinch salt
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic cook with peel on
- vegan parmesan optional, for serving
Instructions
-
Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a heavy skillet or cast-iron pan. Add the cherry tomatoes and garlic (leave the peel on) and scatter the thinly sliced onion, salt, pepper and thyme over them. Cover and cook gently over medium heat for about 15–20 minutes, until the tomatoes soften. Keeping the garlic unpeeled prevents it from burning and turning bitter.
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Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to package instructions. Just before draining, scoop out one cup of the pasta cooking water and set it aside. Drain the pasta.
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When the tomatoes have softened, gently squeeze the garlic cloves in the pan to release their soft, roasted flesh and discard the peel.
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Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to combine. If the pasta seems dry, add some of the reserved cooking water a splash at a time until the sauce coats the spaghetti evenly. Serve immediately, with vegan parmesan if desired.
Notes
Finish the pasta with a sprinkle of vegan parmesan if you like for added savory depth.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Spaghetti with Cherry Tomato Sauce
Serving Size
1 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
330
% Daily Value*
Fat
15
g
23
%
Saturated Fat
2
g
13
%
Sodium
121
mg
5
%
Carbohydrates
83
g
28
%
Fiber
7
g
29
%
Sugar
11
g
12
%
Protein
15
g
30
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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