One-Pot TOASTED Tomato Pasta

This one-pot toasted tomato pasta is the easiest meal you'll ever make—all without compromising on taste! No chopping, no special ingredients, and no prep whatsoever.

But how is this different than all the other one-pot pasta recipes? It's because we'll TOAST the pasta first! If this concept sounds completely foreign, you're in for a treat.

Jump to:

• ⭐️ Why toast pasta?
• 🍅 Toasted Pasta Ingredients
• 🍝 How to Make Toasted Pasta
• ❓ FAQs
• 🌱 More Delicious Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

⭐️ Why toast pasta?

Seeing a chef on TV dumping pasta straight into boiling water for the first time, I remember being so confused. My mom always sautéed our pasta first. It was one of those "hold on so not everyone does XYZ like we do!??" revelations that comes with growing up.

But why in the world did mom do this? About 20 years later, I now get the why.

1. Flavor — Toasting introduces a deeply nutty flavor that can enhance regular pasta.
2. Texture — You will notice a slightly chewier bite than usual, perfect for al-dante lovers.
3. Harder to overcook — The biggest problem with one-pot dishes is that the pasta in them is almost always overcooked. Not a big fan. But sautéing beforehand strengthens the pasta, making this method the perfect solution!

As it turns out, our family wasn't the only one! I found out that there is also a Mexican dish called sopa de fideo (similar to Turkish vermicelli soup or tel şehriye çorbası)—where the thin noodles are sautéed prior to cooking. Fascinating.

Even though there now are dozens of articles about toasting pasta before cooking, it still isn't as widespread as it really should be.

All that said, the majority of the time—sorry mom—I don't toast pasta. You certainly wouldn't need or want to if:

• you don't like al-dante pasta
• you're using a rich pasta sauce (this can overshadow the toasted flavor)
• you'll use a different pan to finish the dish (aka—you're not making one-pot pasta)

Convinced? Well, try toasting your pasta just once. Even if you don't end up liking the taste better, I promise the nutty scent that fills your kitchen will be worth it.

🍅 Toasted Pasta Ingredients

If you don't count salt and pepper, we only need three simple ingredients: pasta, tomatoes, and olive oil.

Want to make it a bit more exciting? Try adding some spinach, fresh herbs, other vegetables, cooked chickpeas, vegan cheese... very difficult to go wrong here.

But let me remind you: as simple or boring as this dish may sound, it still is extremely delicious as is.

Pasta

If you want to equally toast all the pasta, go with a flatter variety like Penne, or a longer noodle such as Spaghetti or Linguine.

The latter can be toasted in the oven, or you could break up the spaghetti into shorter pieces before sautéing.

I personally go with Farfalle and Fusilli the most. In the end, you still get surfaces that aren't sautéed, and I like the variety.

Lastly, I highly recommend using bronze-die pasta with a rough, porous texture for maximum sauce-sticking abilities. 🙂

Tomato

You can use chopped or shredded fresh tomatoes, but I usually simply use canned or bottled strained tomatoes as a shortcut.

Olive Oil

For maximum flavor, you'll want to use a good amount of olive oil to sautée the pasta.

We almost exclusively use fresh-pressed extra-virgin olive oil nowadays. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to worry about its smoke point.

🍝 How to Make Toasted Pasta

In a wide and large pan, sauté the pasta in olive oil on medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the edges are golden brown. This should take about 7-8 minutes.

Pour in strained tomatoes and boiling water. If using, add canned chickpeas or any other add-ins.

Bring to a boil on high heat and give it a stir. When boiling, turn the heat down a bit for a fast simmer with the lid on—about 7-9 minutes.

Turn off the heat right before or as the pasta is al dante, depending on preference. The pasta will cook more as it sits.

Put the lid back on for a few minutes and serve immediately. Garnish with fresh tomatoes and herbs if you’d like. Enjoy!

❓ FAQs

🌱 More Delicious Recipes

For more protein, make a delicious (and equally easy) Turkish bean salad.

If you're a big pasta fan, don't forget to try my 10-minute tomato paste pasta. For an Asian twist, my husband's favorite chili oil noodles never disappoint.

Want to make a simple pasta dish more exciting? Try it with yogurt or vegan ground beef.

Did you make this toasted pasta recipe? I'd love to hear about it! Please comment and leave a star🌟 rating below. This helps me run Aegean Delight and I always appreciate it 🙂

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📖 Recipe