Easy, rich and flavorful pomodoro sauce recipe to spice up your dinners. Perfect to serve mixed into pasta for a quick and easy weeknight meal. This is a lighter recipe that uses less oil but is still bold and vibrant. It’s so easy, you just have to try it!
This post was originally published January of 2018, updated May 2020.
This perfectly spicy pomodoro sauce is so quick and easy to make and so flavorful!
You know I love my pasta dishes, and this recipe is up one of my go too’s like my Easy Pasta Bolognese Recipe and Creamy Fontina Pasta.
This pomodoro sauce and pasta is so light in calories, making it the perfect dinner to warm you up this winter while trying to lighten up your menu.
This pomodoro sauce was inspired by one of my local favorites – Katie’s Pizza and Pasta. Chris said this spicy pomodoro recipe (which likely has far less oil) is better than the original. I know you’ll love it too!
The ingredients in pomodoro and marinara are virtually the same, but the main difference is consistency. Marinara tends to be runnier and more liquid than pomodoro.
As the tomatoes cook for pomodoro you crush them resulting in a thick and smooth sauce. My version of this sauce also has some great heat from the added red chili flakes.
Spicy Pomodoro Sauce Ingredients
- Olive Oil – Use a high quality olive oil for the best flavor. In a pinch substitute additional butter or canola oil.
- Butter – Salted or unsalted, your preference.
- Garlic – A hit of garlic adds robust flavor to pasta dishes. Mince the garlic for the most flavor or purchase minced garlic from the produce section of your grocer. You won’t notice the difference.
- Red Pepper Flakes – Red pepper flakes and some heat and spice to this sauce and really make it come alive. You can adjust the amount depending on how spicy you like it.
- Tomatoes – I used canned whole tomatoes in this recipe. No one has time to peel their own tomatoes! Whole tomatoes are better than chunked.
- Mascarpone – This Italian cheese is mixed into the sauce for a creamy texture.
- Basil – Fresh basil is stirred in at the end of cooking for a hit of freshness.
- Salt and Pepper – Thick flakes of salt and pepper to taste. To achieve thick flakes, adjust a grinder to the largest setting.
To Serve
- Pasta – Rather than making homemade pasta on this occasion, I picked up fresh fiori noodles. The girls love their floral shape! This is a really versatile sauce and can easily be served with any of your favorite pastas. Spaghetti, bucatini and fettuccine all work really well.
- Arugula
- Parmesan – Flakes of parmesan finish this dish.
How To Make Spicy Pomodoro Sauce
- Prepare Pasta – Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prepare pasta al dente.
- Make the Sauce – In a large saucepan over low heat, warm olive oil, butter, minced garlic and red pepper flakes, stirring to not burn the garlic until butter is melted.
- Add tomatoes and increase temperature to medium heat. Crush tomatoes with a potato masher or wooden spoon and stir occasionally for 10 minutes or until it reaches desired consistency.
- Stir in mascarpone, basil and salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine – Remove from heat and stir pasta and arugula. Garnish with parmesan to serve.
Tips
- If you prefer your sauce to be thicker, mix 1 tablespoon of water with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and stir it into the sauce towards the end of cooking.
- You can omit the chili flakes if you have an aversion to spicy foods or increase if you like things hot!
How to Store
- Refrigerate – You can make this sauce ahead of time and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just heat it back up on the stove top before adding it to your cooked pasta.
- Freeze – Pomodoro Sauce freezes well. Let the sauce cool to room temperature and transfer to a freezer safe container. It will keep for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
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If you try this recipe, please come back to share using my 5 star rating in the comments below! Not only do I appreciate it, but I know readers do, too!
More Pasta Sauce Recipes
- Simple Sun Dried Tomato Pasta Sauce
- White Wine Sauce for Pasta
- Amazing Vodka Sauce Recipe
- Easy Authentic Bolognese Sauce Recipe
- Bucatini with Amatriciana Sauce
Spicy Pomodoro Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoons garlic minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pound canned whole peeled tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons mascarpone
- 3/4 ounces basil chopped (about 3 Tbsp fresh)
- 1 cup arugula
- salt
- pepper
- parmesan to garnish
- 1 pound pasta
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare pasta according to package instructions.
- In a large saucepan over low heat, warm olive oil, butter, minced garlic and red pepper flakes, stirring to not burn the garlic until butter is melted.
- Add tomatoes and increase temperature to medium heat. Crush tomatoes with a potato masher or wooden spoon and stir occasionally for 10 minutes or until it reaches desired consistency.
- Stir in mascarpone, basil and salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove from heat and stir pasta and arugula. Garnish with parmesan to serve.
Notes
Tips
- If you prefer your sauce to be thicker, mix 1 tablespoon of water with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and stir it into the sauce towards the end of cooking.
- You can omit the chili flakes if you have an aversion to spicy foods or increase if you like things hot!
To Store
- Refrigerate – You can make this sauce ahead of time and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just heat it back up on the stove top before adding it to your cooked pasta.
- Freeze – Pomodoro Sauce freezes well. Let the sauce cool to room temperature and transfer to a freezer safe container. It will keep for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
This looks so good, but my crazy husband won’t eat cheese. Any suggestions to replace the mascarpone?
I’m from the Stl region–love Katies Pizza–will have to try this:)
It’s so good, isn’t it?
This recipe actually looks amazing and delicious! I’m definitely going to try it out – and maybe even try to do it oil free – yes, I am trying to lose few kilograms haha. Also – it’s the first time ever I see this kind of pasta! I love it and now I’ll be on a mission to find it somewhere. Thank you for the recipe!
With kindness
Good luck! I hope you enjoy this pasta as well…I love how I don’t feel I’m missing out on anything since I’m still getting my pasta fix. Close your eyes when you see the cookie cakes this week.