Tomato Butter Pasta

close up shot of tomato butter pasta in silver ladle

Print Recipe

5 from 43 votes

This tomato butter pasta is such a simple recipe, but it always hits the spot!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £3 / $4

Equipment

Large Pan & Wooden Spoon
Large Pot & Tongs
Box Grater & Bowl
Fine Cheese Grater

Ingredients

9oz / 250g Spaghetti, or other long cut pasta
1lb / 500g Tomatoes (see notes)
4 tbsp / 2oz / 60g Butter
1/3 cup / 1oz / 30g freshly grated Parmesan
2 cloves of Garlic, finely diced
handful of Fresh Basil, finely diced
pinch of Chilli Flakes, to taste
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Instructions

Use a box grater to grate each tomato into a bowl. Discard the skin when you get to it.
Melt 3.5 tbsp butter in a large pan over medium heat (save the remaining 1/2 tbsp butter for later). Add in garlic & chilli flakes and fry for a couple of minutes. Pour in the tomatoes, generously season with salt & pepper and give it a good stir.
Keep on a gentle simmer and occasionally stir for 15mins, or until sauce begins to thicken and emulsify with the butter.
Meanwhile, place the pasta in heavily salted water and cook until al dente.
Use tongs to transfer the pasta straight into the pan and toss to combine with the sauce. Toss in basil, then toss in parmesan, adding starchy pasta water from the pot to thin out the sauce as needed. If you go overboard with the pasta water, just continue to simmer & toss the pasta in the sauce until it thickens and clings around the pasta.
Add in the final 1/2 tbsp butter and toss until melted. Check for seasoning and adjust accordingly, then serve up with any extra basil/parmesan and enjoy!

Video

Notes

a) Tomatoes - Here I've used some ripe plum tomatoes, which I recommend using if you can get your hands on them (they have a gorgeous sweet flavour with bright red flesh). Failing that, just grab some good-quality ripe tomatoes that are going to be easy to grate.

b) Grating the tomatoes - This helps create a nice texture to form the base of the sauce. It's also a really simple way of peeling the tomatoes. As you grate the tomatoes just keep them flat and you'll be left with the entirety of the skin, which you can just discard. If you don't have a grater just slice an X at the top of each tomato, then simmer in boiling water for 1 min. Immediately place in an ice bath and peel the skin when cool enough to handle. From there, just dice as finely as you can.

c) Seasoning - This is a really simple sauce, so season well to bring out the best in it! Also make sure your pasta water is seasoned well, just so you don't dilute the flavour of the sauce.

d) Calories - Whole recipe divided by 2.

Nutrition