For many Italians, a generous plate of spaghetti al pomodoro with tomato sauce feels like returning home after a long journey. It’s in the way we twirl the spaghetti with a fork — a gesture that feels instinctive. And if you ask about the spoon, the short answer is no: most of us don’t use it, despite my grandfather from southern Italy who always did. That now seems old-fashioned.
Maybe it’s the tomato sauce, prone to landing the occasional stain on a white shirt, or the heady scent of fresh basil. Maybe it’s the vibrant colours — so typically Italian — a stereotype we proudly embrace. Everyone has their favourite tomato sauce: with garlic or onion, basil or parsley, olive oil or butter. A saucepan of tomato sauce hides countless stories: generations of trial and error, family traditions strengthened or broken by a single clove of garlic. And olive oil — the signature ingredient of our cuisine — is the steady bass line beneath the tomatoes, the backbone of the dish.
Alongside spaghetti al pomodoro, you’ll often find the mention of spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino, a basic yet essential dish of spaghetti tossed with garlic, extra virgin olive oil and chilli. It’s a recipe every home cook should master, even if your knowledge of Italian food barely scratches the surface.
This simple dish can be prepared anytime with pantry staples, perfect for late-night visitors or impromptu gatherings — a bowl of pasta for small hours and large appetites. The aroma of garlic gently frying in olive oil is almost spellbinding; it evokes home no matter where you are.
It is a humbly economical recipe: extra virgin olive oil, garlic, chilli and a packet of dried spaghetti — staples in every Italian pantry. When done correctly it reaches a sublime balance: the pasta absorbs the garlic-infused oil while the chilli teases the palate without overwhelming the other flavours. A scattering of fresh, finely chopped parsley provides the green note the dish needs. Spaghetti aglio e olio is also an excellent base for last-minute additions — cherry tomatoes, mussels or clams — but traditionally never cheese.
Now imagine what happens when spaghetti aglio e olio meets a bowl of spaghetti with slow-roasted tomato sauce. It doesn’t get more Italian than that.
Spaghetti aglio e olio with slow-roasted tomatoes
This recipe concentrates the warmth of summer into a single dish. Slow-roasting the tomatoes in the oven deepens their natural sweetness and concentrates their flavour. Using tomatoes of different colours — yellow, red, brown — adds an unexpected visual appeal to the finished pasta.
Once prepared, the slow-roasted tomatoes keep well in the fridge for several days when stored in olive oil. They pair beautifully with classic spaghetti aglio e olio for an easy, flavourful summer meal.
Recipe by Giulia for Masi Campofiorin50.
Spaghetti aglio e olio with slow-roasted tomatoes
Giulia
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Ingredients
Ingredients for the slow-roasted tomatoes
- 1 kg of cherry tomatoes of different colours, yellow, red, brown…
- 4 cloves of garlic
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
Ingredients for spaghetti with garlic, olive oil and chilli pepper
- 400 g of spaghetti
- 8 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic
- Chilli peppers to taste
- Parsley
Instructions
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Prepare the slow-roasted tomatoes. They can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for several days, covered in olive oil.
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Wash the tomatoes, place them on a baking sheet and drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and scatter thinly sliced garlic over the tomatoes. Roast at 150°C for an hour, then turn off the oven and leave the tomatoes inside until they are cold.
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Spoon the tomatoes with their sauce into an airtight container or jar and store in the fridge until ready to use.
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Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water until al dente.
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Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over low heat with the garlic cut into thin slices and the crumbled chilli. When the garlic has softened and just begins to turn golden, add the slow-roasted tomatoes with some of their sauce.
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Drain the spaghetti, add them to the pan, toss to coat and serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.
Link love
- Tomatoes in my family tradition: tomato purée, the preserve and pomarola, our tomato sauce.
- An old New York Times piece on how to eat pasta like an expert, reflecting on techniques and traditions.
- Advice on eating pasta like an Italian from food writers discussing habits and firm rules.
- Mark Bittman’s recipe for pasta aglio, olio e peperoncino, a straightforward classic.
- Aglio e Olio: a foundational pasta sauce that many cooks should know — simple, versatile and historically central to how pasta sauces are built.
