What can I make with pasta and tomato?
Pasta and Tomato is the weeknight default for good reason, and the gap between fine and excellent comes down to two things: salted water and finishing in the sauce. Recipes using pasta and tomato are below.
12 recipes with pasta and tomato
Seafood fideuà
Boil the kettle.
Spanish4
Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil Add the pasta, stir once and cook for about 10 minutes or as directed on the packet.
Italian4Greek Village Salad (Horiatiki)
Tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, olives and a slab of feta with olive oil.
Mediterranean10m4
Greek Salad
Crisp cucumber, tomato, olives, and feta with oregano dressing.
Mediterranean10m2
Wedge Salad
Chilled iceberg wedge with creamy blue cheese and bacon.
American10m4Zucchini Noodles
Spiralized zucchini tossed with pesto and cherry tomatoes.
American15m4Classic Ham Sandwich
A simple yet satisfying sandwich filled with ham and served on toasted bread.
American15m2
Ground Beef Tacos
Classic American-style hard shell beef tacos.
Mexican20m4
Cobb Salad
Chopped salad with chicken, egg, avocado, bacon, and blue cheese.
American20m4Tabbouleh
Bright parsley and bulgur salad with lemon and mint.
Middle Eastern20m4
Fattoush
Crunchy pita salad with sumac and pomegranate molasses.
Middle Eastern20m4
Huevos Rancheros
Fried eggs on tortillas with smoky ranchero salsa.
Mexican25m2
Restaurant-quality pasta and tomato at home
- 1Salt the water until it tastes like a seasoned soup; this is the only chance to season the pasta and tomato itself.
- 2Cook 1-2 minutes short of the box time and reserve a mug of the starchy water before draining.
- 3Finish the pasta and tomato in the sauce over heat, adding the reserved water a splash at a time until the sauce clings.
- 4Add cheese off the heat so it emulsifies instead of turning stringy.
What goes well with pasta and tomato
Pasta and Tomato is at its best with garlic, olive oil, parmesan, tomato, basil and chili flakes. Any two or three of those, plus pasta and tomato, is already a dinner rather than an ingredient list.
Storing pasta and tomato
Dry pasta and tomato keeps for months in a sealed container away from light and heat. Once cooked, cool it quickly, refrigerate within two hours, and use within 3-4 days; cooked grains and legumes freeze extremely well in single-portion bags.
Substituting pasta and tomato
If you are out of pasta and tomato, look for something that behaves the same way in the pan rather than something that tastes the same. Match the moisture level, the cooking time, and the richness, and adjust the liquid slightly if your substitute releases more water. When in doubt, describe what you actually have in the chat and Mr. Chef will rewrite the recipe around it.
Pasta and Tomato recipes: common questions
- What can I make with pasta and tomato and not much else?
- Plenty. With pasta and tomato plus an onion, garlic, oil, and salt you already have the base of a skillet dinner, a soup, or a simple sauce. Add a starch - rice, pasta, bread, or potatoes - and it becomes a full meal. The recipes above are ordered so the ones needing the fewest extra items come first.
- What is the quickest pasta and tomato recipe?
- Look for the entries above marked 20 minutes or less. As a rule, anything cut small and cooked in a hot pan beats anything roasted whole, and one-pan recipes save more time in cleanup than in cooking.
- Can I substitute pasta and tomato?
- In most recipes yes, as long as the replacement plays a similar role - similar moisture, similar cooking time, similar richness. Swapping across roles (a watery vegetable for a starchy one, for instance) usually needs a change in liquid or cooking time too.
- How do I use up leftover pasta and tomato?
- Fried rice, a frittata, a grain bowl, a soup, or a quesadilla will absorb almost any leftover pasta and tomato without a recipe. If you want something specific, tell Mr. Chef exactly what is in the fridge and it will build a recipe around it.