Mafaldine pasta in tomato sauce

March 5, 2023 from Tanya Sheff · This post may contain affiliate links

The Mafaldine pasta in tomato sauce is full of sweet tomatoes, garlic and fresh herbs. You will love this filling and delicious meal.

After a long day, there’s nothing better than a plate of hot pasta. It’s soothing, filling, and full of flavor. This mafaldine pasta recipe is a simple dish that’s really easy to make but packed with deliciousness in every bite. Made with fresh tomatoes and garlic seasoned to perfection, this recipe is a winner.

I used mafaldine for my dish, which is ribbon-shaped pasta, but you can really use any type of pasta you like, long or short. This recipe is very versatile, so you can adapt it based on the ingredients you have on hand and your personal preferences. Let’s talk about what you need for these mafaldine pasta in tomato sauce.

video guide

main ingredients

• Mafaldine pasta. Or your favorite kind.
• Olive oil.
• Tomatoes.
• Garlic.
• Salt.
• Pepper.
• Red pepper flakes.
• Parsely.
• Basil.

How to make mafaldine pasta in tomato sauce

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Add noodles and cook according to package directions. (Mafaldine usually cooks in 9 minutes).

2. In a large skillet, add olive oil and tomatoes and sauté over medium-high heat until tomatoes are soft, about 5-7 minutes.

3. Now add the garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook for a few minutes.

4. Finally add the parsley, basil and cooked pasta to the sauce. Stir well and serve.

Helpful tips & tricks

• Salt the pasta water. Salting the water in which the pasta is cooked is best because it flavors the mafaldine better than salting it after cooking.
• Cook pasta al dente. It’s important to cook the noodles just enough, but not overcooked, because when they’re added to the hot sauce, they’ll cook a bit more.
• Finely chop the tomatoes. If the tomato chunks are too large, they won’t reduce and soften as much, and your sauce will lack some of the sweetness they release.
• Finally add the herbs. We add the parsley and basil at the end so their flavors don’t overcook. This gives the dish a stronger flavor.

Variations on this recipe

• add meat. Make this dish even more filling with the addition of Easy Sausage Meatballs, Chicken MeatballsGround beef or chopped sausage.
• Add vegetables. You can add vegetables such as mushrooms, onions, peppers, zucchini, spinach or asparagus to this mafaldine pasta in tomato sauce.
• Substitute other spices. You can make this with dried herbs like Italian seasoning, onion powder, or oregano.
• Make it a little spicier. If you like your pasta sauce spicy, add a few extra red pepper flakes or some cayenne pepper for a spiciness kick.

How to store and reheat it

Store these mafaldine pasta in tomato sauce in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. You can reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through.

Serve these mafaldine pasta in tomato sauce

I hope you enjoy these delicious mafaldine pasta in tomato sauce as much as we do. It’s so flavorful, satisfying and soothing. The rich tomato sauce really makes the dish.

It’s an easy recipe, so it’s great for busy weeknights, and the leftovers make a great lunch the next day. It’s popular with both kids and adults, so it always gets rave reviews at the table. I love making this pasta dish and I hope you do too. Enjoy!

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