Pasta napolitana is a simple and light pasta dish from Italy. This popular meat-free Italian dish is made with a handful of basic ingredients but is very flavorful and delicious. It gets ready in just 30 minutes and is a great option for a weeknight dinner.
A tasty dish doesn't need to have an elaborate and complicated recipe. This delicious pasta napolitana recipe from Italy is a proof of that.
It's made with some very basic ingredients which are easily available almost everywhere in the world. But, the final dish that gets created with those ingredients is delicious.
If you are looking for a simple and easy meat-free dinner recipe that can be enjoyed with the whole family, spaghetti napolitana is a good option.
It's generally served with some grated parmesan cheese on top, however since parmesan cheese is not vegetarian, vegans and vegetarians may skip adding it. Pasta napolitana tasted equally good without the cheese too.
What's needed to make pasta napolitana?
To make napolitana pasta, you will need the ingredients shown below:
Ingredient notes and substitute suggestions
- Pasta: Spaghetti is the best choice for this recipe but you can make it using any other pasta too.
- Onion: Preferably brown onion.
- Italian seasoning blend: If you don't have the blend, mix different dried Italian seasonings that you like and use that. Some of the Italian seasonings that you can use in this recipe are oregano, basil, thyme, parsley, marjoram, chili flakes, and garlic powder.
- Canned cherry tomatoes: If you can't find canned cherry tomatoes, use canned crushed or diced tomatoes.
- Fresh herb: I have added parsley, you can also add fresh basil.
- Tomato paste: It adds a rich flavor of tomato to the sauce.
How to make (step by step instructions)?
Step 1: Cook pasta al dente as per the instructions given on it's packet.
Step 2: Just before straining the pasta, reserve some pasta water.
Step 3: Heat olive oil in a pan. Add chopped onion and cook until it becomes translucent.
Step 4: Add minced garlic and cook for a minute i.e. until it's raw smell goes away.
Step 5: Add tomato paste and saute for a minute.
Step 6: Add canned cherry tomatoes.
Step 7: Add salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings blend.
Step 8: If the sauce is too thick, add the reserved pasta water to the sauce.
Step 9: Cook the sauce for around 10 minutes.
Step 10: Add cooked pasta.
Step 11: Gently toss until the pasta sauce evenly coats the noodle strands.
Step 12: Garnish with fresh parsley. If you are not a vegan or vegetarian, you may add grated parmesan too.
Your delicious simple Italian spaghetti napoletana is ready to be enjoyed.
How to serve?
Pasta napolitana can be served with toasted garlic bread, cheese toast, cheese sticks, a refreshing salad, or a bowl of soup.
Storing and freezing tips
To store, transfer the pasta to an airtight container and refrigerate for 2-3 days.
It also freezes well. You can freeze it for up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers or zip-lock bags.
How to reheat?
The easiest way to reheat pasta is in the microwave, for that just transfer pasta to a microwave-safe container and microwave it for around 2 minutes. Take out the container, stir, and microwave again until evenly heated.
If the pasta is frozen, make sure to thaw it first before reheating.
However, if you don't have a microwave, transfer the thawed pasta to a cooking pot with a lid. Add a splash of water and tightly cover the pot with a lid. Put on the stovetop and reheat on a low flame for a few minutes i.e. until it's nicely heated.
Do check 2-3 times in between and stir to make sure that the pasta is not sticking to the bottom of the pot. If required add more water.
Recipe tips and tricks
- Cook pasta al dente, overcooked pasta will spoil the dish.
- Instead of using canned cherry tomatoes, you can also use canned crushed or diced tomatoes.
- To reserve the pasta, collect it just before draining the pasta. If you collect the water too early, it won't be starchy enough.
- If you are not a vegan or vegetarian, you may add some grated parmesan to pasta napolitana before serving. In case you are a vegetarian and didn't know, parmesan cheese is not a vegetarian ingredient.
- Use a large cooking pot or pan to make this dish so that it becomes easy to mix the pasta and sauce.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can make it using another type of pasta too.
No, fresh cherry tomatoes don't have the rich flavor and consistency that's needed for the sauce so you can't replace canned cherry tomatoes with them in this recipe.
However, if you can't find canned cherry tomatoes, use canned crushed tomatoes, or diced tomatoes. If you want, you can saute some cherry tomatoes when the onion is cooked and use them along with crushed or diced tomatoes.
More easy pasta recipes
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Recipe
Pasta napolitana
Equipment
- 1 Large cooking pot
- 1 large skillet or pan
Ingredients
- 350 grams spaghetti or any pasta of choice
- 400 grams canned cherry tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
- 1 brown onion finely chopped
- 3-4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley or basil
- 2 tablepsoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Water to cook pasta
Instructions
- Cook pasta al dente as per the instructions given on its packet. Just before draining the pasta, collect around 1 cup of pasta water in a bowl and keep it aside. Strain the pasta and keep it aside too.
- Heat olive oil in a pan and add chopped onion. Saute until the onion becomes translucent.
- Add minced garlic and saute it for a minute or until its raw smell goes away.
- Add tomato paste and saute for a minute.
- Add Italian seasonings, salt, ground black pepper, and canned cherry tomatoes.
- Cook for around 10 minutes. If the sauce is too thick add some reserved pasta water to adjust the consistency of the sauce.
- Add cooked pasta and toss until the sauce evenly coats the pasta strands.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or basil. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Cook pasta al dente, overcooked pasta will spoil the dish.
- Instead of using canned cherry tomatoes, you can also use canned crushed or diced tomatoes.
- To reserve the pasta, collect it just before draining the pasta. If you collect the water too early, it won't be starchy enough.
- If you are not a vegan or vegetarian, you may add some grated parmesan to pasta napolitana before serving. In case you are a vegetarian and didn't know, parmesan cheese is not a vegetarian ingredient.
- Use a large cooking pot or pan to make this dish so that it becomes easy to mix the pasta and sauce.
- More recipe tips and tricks are shared in the post above, please follow them to make this recipe.
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