Neapolitan-style macaroni is a simple tomato pasta made with dried pasta, olive oil, garlic, chili and tomato puree, ready in about 35 minutes. It feeds 4 and needs only a handful of pantry ingredients, so it works for a quick weeknight dinner.
Why This Recipe Works
The sauce starts by frying the garlic and chili in 1/2 cup of olive oil. The oil pulls the flavor out of both and carries it into the tomatoes, so a short simmer is all the sauce needs.
Cooking the sauce covered and gently for 10 to 15 minutes keeps it from reducing too far. Tomato puree is smooth, so it turns glossy and coats the pasta instead of sliding off it.
Parsley goes in at the end, after the simmer. It stays green and keeps its fresh, grassy flavor against the rich tomatoes. A teaspoon of tomato paste deepens the color and the taste without making the sauce heavy.
Neapolitan-style Macaroni Ingredients
For the sauce
- 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 small chili pepper, finely chopped
- 2 cartons or bottles (1 pound each) tomato puree (passata) or chopped tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon concentrated tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Salt
For the pasta
- 13 ounces dried maccheroncini, bucatini, or spaghetti
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
How To Make Neapolitan-style Macaroni
Make the sauce
- Fry the garlic and chili: Warm the olive oil in a large, wide pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and chili and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, so the oil takes on their flavor.
- Simmer the tomatoes: Stir in the tomato puree and the tomato paste. Cover the pan and cook gently for 10 to 15 minutes, so the sauce thickens without scorching.
- Season: Stir in the parsley and add salt to taste. Taste it first, since the puree may already be salted.
Cook the pasta and finish
- Boil the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the 13 ounces of maccheroncini, bucatini, or spaghetti and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until al dente, then drain.
- Toss and serve: Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss until every strand is coated. Finish with freshly ground black pepper and serve right away, while it’s hot.
Recipe Tips
- Watch the garlic: Keep the heat at medium and stir often. Garlic that browns too far turns bitter and carries that taste into the whole sauce.
- Adjust the heat: One small chili gives a gentle warmth. Use less for a mild sauce, or leave the seeds in for more kick.
- Save some pasta water: Set a little of the cooking water aside before you drain. A splash loosens the sauce if it clings too tightly to the pasta.
- Pull the pasta early: Start tasting a minute before the time is up. The pasta keeps cooking a little once it’s tossed in the hot sauce.
What To Serve With Neapolitan-style Macaroni
Serve it in warm bowls straight from the pan, with extra black pepper on the side. A green salad and crusty bread for the sauce on the plate round out the meal.
How To Store
- Fridge: Keep leftover pasta in a covered container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat: Warm it in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water until hot all the way through.
- Make ahead: The sauce keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat it while the pasta cooks, then toss.
FAQs
Can I use fresh tomatoes instead of puree?
Yes, but the sauce changes. Canned chopped tomatoes work best. If you use fresh, peel ripe tomatoes and cook the sauce a few minutes longer so the extra water cooks off.
Is Neapolitan-style macaroni vegan?
Yes. The sauce uses only olive oil, vegetables, herbs and tomato, and dried pasta usually has no egg. Check the pasta package to be sure. It is not gluten free unless you use gluten-free pasta.
Can I make the sauce ahead or freeze it?
Yes. The sauce keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and freezes well for 2 to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge, then reheat it until hot all the way through.
Why does my sauce taste sharp or watery?
A watery sauce needs a few more minutes of gentle simmering with the lid off. A sharp taste usually means the tomatoes are very acidic. Cook the sauce a little longer, and make sure the tomato paste is stirred in well.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving (1 of 4), worked out from the ingredients.
- Calories: about 640 kcal
- Total Fat: 28g
- Total Carbohydrate: 80g
- Dietary Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 15g
Neapolitan-style Macaroni
4
servings10
minutes25
minutes35
minutesA quick tomato pasta with garlic, chili, parsley and olive oil, tossed with maccheroncini, bucatini or spaghetti. It serves 4 and comes together in about 35 minutes.
Ingredients
- For the sauce
8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 small chili pepper, finely chopped
2 cartons or bottles (1 pound each) tomato puree (passata) or chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon concentrated tomato paste
3 tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt
- For the pasta
13 ounces dried maccheroncini, bucatini, or spaghetti
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Fry the garlic and chili: Warm the olive oil in a large, wide pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and chili and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, so the oil takes on their flavor.
- Simmer the tomatoes: Stir in the tomato puree and the tomato paste. Cover the pan and cook gently for 10 to 15 minutes, so the sauce thickens without scorching.
- Season: Stir in the parsley and add salt to taste. Taste it first, since the puree may already be salted.
- Boil the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the 13 ounces of maccheroncini, bucatini, or spaghetti and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until al dente, then drain.
- Toss and serve: Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss until every strand is coated. Finish with freshly ground black pepper and serve right away, while it’s hot.
