Spaghettini with tomato and basil is a quick pasta of fresh tomatoes, butter and basil, ready in about 30 minutes. It feeds 4 and works as a weeknight dinner when you have ripe tomatoes on the counter.
Why This Recipe Works
Butter does the work that olive oil usually does here. It browns the onion lightly and gives the sauce a soft, round taste. The tomatoes then cook for only 3 to 4 minutes, so they stay fresh and keep some shape.
Peeling and seeding the tomatoes matters. The skins curl into tough strips in a quick sauce, and the seeds add extra water. Without them, the sauce clings to the pasta instead of pooling in the bowl.
Basil goes in at the very end. Its flavor fades fast in heat, so shredding it and stirring it in just before the pasta meets the sauce keeps it bright and green.
Spaghettini with Tomato and Basil Ingredients
- 2 ounces butter
- 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped, or 4 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped
- 3 large, ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
- 8 basil leaves, shredded
- 14 ounces spaghettini (fresh or dried)
- 2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan
- Salt
How To Make Spaghettini with Tomato and Basil
Make the sauce
- Brown the onion: Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat. Cook the onion or scallions gently until they just begin to brown, so they turn sweet instead of sharp.
- Add the tomatoes: Stir in the tomatoes and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Keep it short, so the tomatoes soften but still taste fresh.
- Season with basil: Add the shredded basil and salt to taste. Take the skillet off the heat if the pasta is not ready yet.
Cook the pasta and serve
- Cook the spaghettini: While the sauce cooks, boil the pasta in salted water, following the package instructions, until al dente. Drain it well.
- Toss and serve: Mix the pasta with the sauce right away, so the strands soak up the buttery tomato juices. Serve sprinkled with the grated Parmesan.
Recipe Tips
- Peel tomatoes easily: Score a small cross in the base of each tomato and drop it into boiling water for 20 to 30 seconds. The skins slip off, and you can seed them over a bowl.
- Choose ripe tomatoes: The sauce is only as good as the tomatoes. Pick ones that are deep red and smell sweet. If yours are the best of the season, you can leave out the cheese.
- Try a Neapolitan version: Swap the onion for garlic and the butter for olive oil. You get a Neapolitan-style sauce that tastes just as good.
- Shred basil last: Cut or tear the leaves just before they go in. Basil darkens quickly once it is cut and left sitting.
What To Serve With Spaghettini with Tomato and Basil
Serve the pasta in warm bowls with extra Parmesan at the table. A simple green salad and a piece of crusty bread to mop up the juices round out the meal.
How To Store
- Fridge: Keep leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The pasta soaks up the sauce as it sits.
- Reheat: Warm it in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water until hot all the way through. Add a few fresh basil leaves at the end.
FAQs
Can I use canned tomatoes instead of fresh?
Yes, in a pinch. Use about 1 1/2 cups of canned whole peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped, and cook them a few minutes longer. The sauce will taste deeper and less fresh than with ripe summer tomatoes.
Can I make spaghettini with tomato and basil dairy-free?
Yes. Use olive oil instead of butter and leave out the Parmesan or use a dairy-free grated cheese. Add a little extra salt, since the cheese adds saltiness.
What can I use if I can’t find spaghettini?
Regular spaghetti or angel hair works fine. Spaghettini is just thinner than spaghetti, so cook the pasta by the time on the package and taste it a minute early.
Why is my tomato sauce watery?
Usually the tomatoes were not seeded, or they were not ripe enough. Remove the seeds and juice before chopping, and toss the pasta in the skillet with the sauce for a minute so it thickens on the strands.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving (1 of 4), worked out from the ingredients.
- Calories: about 560 kcal
- Total Fat: 19g
- Total Carbohydrate: 74g
- Dietary Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 20g
Spaghettini with Tomato and Basil
4
servings15
minutes15
minutes30
minutesThin spaghettini tossed with a quick sauce of butter-browned onion, fresh tomatoes and basil, finished with grated Parmesan. A simple pasta for 4 that comes together in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
2 ounces butter
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped, or 4 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped
3 large, ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
8 basil leaves, shredded
14 ounces spaghettini (fresh or dried)
2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan
Salt
Directions
- Brown the onion: Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat. Cook the onion or scallions gently until they just begin to brown, so they turn sweet instead of sharp.
- Add the tomatoes: Stir in the tomatoes and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Keep it short, so the tomatoes soften but still taste fresh.
- Season with basil: Add the shredded basil and salt to taste. Take the skillet off the heat if the pasta is not ready yet.
- Cook the spaghettini: While the sauce cooks, boil the pasta in salted water, following the package instructions, until al dente. Drain it well.
- Toss and serve: Mix the pasta with the sauce right away, so the strands soak up the buttery tomato juices. Serve sprinkled with the grated Parmesan.
