Give pasta a glorious colour and add a Mediterranean kick to the flavour using tomato purée… Mario Matassa’s spaghetti recipe shows you how!
It should come as no surprise to hear that we Italians eat more pasta than any other nation in the world.
The International Pasta Organization estimated that Italians eat on average 28kg of pasta per person per year. To put that into perspective, the average person in the UK consumes a mere 2.5kg. Broken down, the figure of 28kg per year translates as approximately 80g of pasta per person, per day, 365 days of the year. So the figures suggest that the average Italian really does eat a bowl of pasta every day!
Adding tomato purée not only gives your pasta a glorious colour, it also adds a real Mediterranean kick to the flavour of the finished dish. Pasta made with tomato purée works well, of course, with sauces that incorporate fresh tomatoes and basil.
Fresh cheeses, such as ricotta, also go well with tomato-flavoured spaghetti. I have even eaten it with roasted aubergines, finely chopped and mixed into the pasta along with a good drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and some salted ricotta grated over the top.
Tomato-flavoured spaghetti with tomato and mozzarella sauce | Spaghetti al pomodoro con sugo di pomodori freschi e mozzarella
➤ SERVES: 4
➤ PREPARATION: 40 minutes, plus resting
➤ COOKING: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 400g plain flour, plus a few extra tablespoons if necessary
- 4 medium free-range eggs
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
For the tomato and mozzarella sauce:
- 250g mini mozzarella balls, cut in half
- 200g cherry or baby plum tomatoes
- A handful of fresh basil leaves
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
- Begin by making egg pasta according to the recipe here, adding the tablespoon of tomato purée along with the eggs. Then bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.
- While you are waiting for the water to boil, make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan, then add the cherry tomatoes. Fry over a medium heat for 2-5 minutes, until they begin to soften.
- When the water is boiling, add the pasta. Taste to ensure that the pasta is cooked before draining, but be aware that fresh pasta only takes seconds to cook once the water returns to the boil. Once the pasta has been drained, add it to the tomatoes, then stir in the mini mozzarella balls. Sprinkle generously with basil and freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.
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Words and recipe by Mario Matassa