This pasta al filetto di pomodoro is made with peeled fresh tomato cut into ribbons, garlic slowly wilted over low heat, and basil, and it’s ready in 30 minutes. It’s the Italian dish that proves that with a good tomato, less is more: fresh and full of flavor.
If you’ve never peeled a tomato, don’t worry, it’s easier than you think, and it’s worth every minute for that skin-free, seed-free texture that makes this pasta feel restaurant-worthy.
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The Via Appia in Caracas
Even though pasta al filetto di pomodoro is a wonderfully Italian dish (a take on the very Neapolitan pasta al pomodoro), it transports me straight back to Caracas, the city where I was born and raised.
For years, while I lived in Altamira and Los Palos Grandes, I’d go every Saturday, religiously, to Via Appia Express in La Castellana, for my filetto di pomodoro sauce, and I’d stock up on fresh buffalo mozzarella while I was at it.
It was my dear Gloria Majella, a friend of almost 40 years now, who introduced me to this simple way of eating pasta, with what are without a doubt some of my favorite ingredients: olive oil, garlic, tomato, and fresh basil.
Once I was living in Southern California, I started making it with tomatoes from my own garden. Later in Miami, when I had my catering business, it became one of my clients’ favorite pasta sauces.
When you make it, you’ll understand why, and you’ll agree with me that often, in the kitchen, simpler is better.
Buon appetito!
Enri
Ingredients
To make this pasta al filetto di pomodoro you’ll need:
- Ripe but firm tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut into ribbons
- Garlic cloves, sliced
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
- Coarse sea salt
- Pappardelle noodles
- Red pepper flakes
- Grated parmesan cheese (I used Parmigiano Reggiano)
Exact amounts are in the recipe card at the end of the post.
How to Make Pasta al Filetto di Pomodoro
- Wilt the garlic. In a skillet with olive oil, cook the garlic over low heat until it slowly wilts, without browning.
- Sauté the tomato. Add the tomato ribbons and cook briefly until just sautéed. Season with salt to taste.
- Add the basil. Stir in the basil right before adding the pasta.
- Cook the pasta and toss. Boil the pasta al dente, lift it straight out of the water, and add it to the skillet. Toss well so the starches help bring everything together.
- Serve. Add red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese.
Tip: Use ripe but firm, in-season tomatoes, that’s what gives this dish its flavor and texture without falling apart as it cooks.
FAQs
Did you know…?
Culinary historians trace the first documented tomato pasta recipe back to 19th-century Naples. Filetto di pomodoro actually gets its name from the technique itself: the tomato is cut into thin strips (filetti) and sautéed for just a few minutes, rather than cooked down into a sauce, a lighter, fresher take on that original recipe, ideal for when tomatoes are at their peak.
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Pasta al Filetto di Pomodoro Recipe with Fresh Tomato
Ingredients
- 5 lbs ripe but firm tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut into ribbons 2.5 kg
- 10 garlic cloves, sliced
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 120 ml
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves cut into chiffonade (about 40 g
- Coarse sea salt to taste
- 1 lb pappardelle 450 g
- Red pepper flakes to taste
- 1 cu Grated parmesan cheese (I used Parmigiano Reggiano)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet and cook the garlic over low heat until it slowly wilts, without browning, 3-4 minutes.
- Add the tomato ribbons and cook briefly until just sautéed. Season with salt to taste.
- Stir in the basil right before adding the pasta.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente.
- Lift the pasta straight out of the water and add it to the skillet. Toss well so the starches help bring everything together.
- Serve in pasta bowls with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and parmesan.
Nutrition
Notes
- Nutritional values are approximate and were calculated automatically with WordPress Recipe Maker. They may vary depending on the specific ingredients and brands used.
- Swap pappardelle for fettuccine, linguine, or tagliatelle. For thin noodles, go with vermicelli or capellini.
- Keeps up to 4 days refrigerated, though this pasta tastes best fresh.
- Use ripe but firm, in-season tomatoes, that’s what gives this dish its flavor and texture without falling apart as it cooks.
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