Sometimes you just want something simple for dinner, and this Easy Tomato Pasta Sauce stirred through some spaghetti is about as simple as it gets. No need for any extra ingredients, although a little parmesan and black pepper on top goes a long way.
One of the things I have learnt from my trips to Italy is that everyone outside of Italy really over complicates Italian food, and I am definitely guilty of this too. You only have to look at how many toppings we put on our pizza, or how many different ingredients we add to our pasta dishes to see this. In Italy, their food tends to be much more simple, and I think it is tastier because of it.
If you want to be kept up to date on my new healthy and delicious recipes like this, then please subscribe to the blog mailing list (it takes 30 seconds) and you will get sent the new recipes straight to your inbox. Your email address won’t be passed on to anyone and you will never be spammed. Click here to sign up
Another thing that really stands out in Italy when it comes to their food is the quality of their ingredients. Only the best quality ingredients are used in their dishes and you can certainly taste that. That is something that is really important to us too, and I think good quality ingredient are worth paying for.
On the theme of good quality ingredients, I am excited to share something with you all! I have teamed up with Cirio as their blogger ambassador to show you all the amazing ways that you can use their tomato products. Chopped tomatoes, passata and tomato paste feature in the majority of my recipes and dominates the flavour of so many of my dishes, so I think that it is important that it is good quality, and we always choose Cirio.
The quality of Cirio’s preserves comes from the exceptional quality of the 100% Italian raw produce and the extreme care we take throughout the growing, picking, processing and packaging process.
Quality controls are carried out in accordance with the Quality Assurance System and vigorous analysis is conducted throughout the entire production process; from the samples taken in the field before the harvest, to those taken on arrival at the production plant, right through to the finished product. This is what we mean when we say tracked “from seed to fork”.
Also, I want to show people that there is so much more that you can do with Cirio products than just make pasta dishes with them. This is a year long project, with over 30 recipes, so you will be seeing curries, Spanish dishes, Mexican feasts, salads, Middle Eastern food and so much more – all with a focus on simplicity, to keep it in line with traditional Italian cooking. Don’t worry, there will be a lot of Italian dishes too though.
If you walk down the Italian aisle in any supermarket, you will be overwhelmed by the choice of pasta sauces you can buy. But here’s an idea, don’t buy any of them. Try making it yourself to not only save you money, but it’s the healthier choice too. A pasta sauce should have very few ingredients and the store bought ones are just loaded with salt and sugar.
This sauce tastes great just over pasta, used in a spaghetti bolognese, or even used as the base for a pizza. You can also make a big batch of it and freeze it to use as and when you want.
Ingredients:
– Half an Onion, diced
– 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
– 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
– 1 tbsp dried oregano
– 250g of Cirio passata
– A pinch of sea salt and black pepper
1) Cook the onion and garlic in a little oil until softened.
2) Add the passata sauce and herbs and simmer for 10 minutes.
3) Stir through cooked spaghetti and top with parmesan.
Nutritional Information – Per person for just the sauce:
Calories: 70
Fat: 0
Carbs: 14
Protein: 3
Fibre: 2
Let’s stay in touch!
You can find me on Facebook at Hungry Healthy Happy, on Instagram at @hungryhealthyhappy, on Twitter at @HHH_Dannii or on Pinterest at hhhdannii or you can subscribe via email.
**This recipe was commissioned by Cirio, however all opinions are my own**
Elizabeth says
Mmm sounds like a great midweek meal idea! Love pasta, me!
Dannii says
Me too, I could eat it every day.
Mandi says
Thanks for this simple recipe, my boys love pasta but they always complain about what’s in the jars, this will make a nice change.
Dannii says
I hope they enjoy this then!
rachel says
Sometimes having just pasta and a sauce is so comforting to sit and eat x
Dannii says
It’s such a classic comforting dish, isn’t it.
Tanya Brannan says
I don’t think you can beat a freshly made tomato sauce. I love making pasta sauces so will give it a try!
Dannii says
It tasted so much better than store bought.
Idaintyit says
looks yummy. I am always after a new pasta sauce so will give this a try
Dannii says
This one is so simple too!
Jenny - Monkey and Mouse says
It looks delicious! I love pasta and so do the kids, it’s always a hit! 🙂 x
Dannii says
There is so much that you can do with pasta, it always goes down well in our house.
Rebecca Smith says
What a fabulously simple recipe, thanks for sharing!
Dannii says
You are every welcome.
Leanne says
I would never have thought of using those products. Thanks for sharing!
Dannii says
The Cirio products are such amazing quality – you can really taste the difference.
kellie@foodtoglow says
I’m a big fan of Cirio products and will go out of my way if necessary to get them when making something that requires something tomatoey – tinned, passata, paste. Congratulations on being their blogger ambassador – what a great gig!
Dannii says
It’s worth going out of the way to buy these, as you can really taste the difference.
Ickle Pickle says
I love the look of this – I really want to have a go, we have a lot of pasta. I am going to pin this, thank you. Kaz x
Dannii says
Thanks for pinning 🙂
Catstello says
This looks so tasty! Thanks for sharing
Dannii says
You are very welcome.
Camilla says
You can’t beat Cirio as they make cooking a meal so effortless and delicious, my cupboards are bursting with their products:-)
Dannii says
You can never have enough Cirio products, as there is so much that you can do with them and that is what I am going to be showing over the year.
Kavey says
Completely agree that non-Italians often overcomplicate Italian food. Everything is either too muddled by too many ingredients or the flavours are overly concentrated. This looks like you’re really paring back to the essential flavours.
Dannii says
It’s all about the tomatoes in this dish and it has to be Cirio for us!
Kacie says
I made my own sundried tomato pasta sauce the other day and it made such a difference – so much nicer than shop-bought varieties!
Dannii says
I love adding some sundried tomato paste in to this too sometimes.
Stella Kashmoney says
This looks very yummy. Would love to taste this.
Dannii says
It’s very quick and easy to make, so give it a try for dinner tonight!
Camilla says
We are going to Italy in the summer and I am most looking forward to the food. This has gotten me in the mood for it even more now.
We buy Cirio products too. Congrats on being an ambassador for them, I look forward to seeing what you come up with.
Dannii says
I am going to Italy in a few weeks too and I am so excited!
Oliver says
I am a terrible cook, but I think I could even manage this. I would have to add some chicken or something to it though.
Dannii says
It really is easy and you can adapt it to suit your own tastes too.
Bec says
I make my pasta sauces from scratch too and tend to use cirio too. It’s much cheaper and I know exactly what’s gone in it too. Love bec xx
Dannii says
It’s crazy how much sugar and salt goes in to store bought sauce.
mira says
I love Cirio tomato sauce! But not many stores around me have it! This pasta look amazing!
Dannii says
Yes, apparently it is not that widely available in the U.S, but hopefully it will be soon.
Liz Mays says
This certainly looks great. I’d love to try that healthy sauce with this recipe.
Dannii says
I hope you enjoy it!
Ana De- Jesus says
I actually had something similar earlier it was pomodoro with a similar sauce!
Dannii says
Sounds delicious 🙂
Kelly says
Yay, congrats on the ambassadorship, Dannii! My husband and I always dream about the amazing food we had in Italy. Love how simple this sauce is, homemade is always best especially with good quality ingredients!
Dannii says
I dreamt about Italian food last night too haha
Martin @ The Why Chef says
Just had these delivered on my weekly shop! What good timing! I’m glad they come recommended – not bought these before!
Dannii says
You will love the Cirio products – they are such amazing quality.
StressedMum says
Homemade is always nicer, I usually use passata when making tomato based sauces x
Dannii says
It’s the way forward I think and we always use Cirio.
Alida @My Little Italian Kitchen says
I completely agree, much better to make your own sauce. I usually buy plain passata which has nothing added to it and I make delicious sauces or I use it in casseroles and other dishes. I use so much of it that I usually emtpy the shelf at the supermarket! People think I have got a restaurant! (Not talking about the weekly shop though!).
Love your recipe!
Dannii says
Haha, we always have a cupboard full of Cirio passata and chopped tomatoes, as there is just so much that you can do with it.
Mayuri Patel says
Cirio is a very old brand. I remember their concentrated tomato paste was used by most households here in Kenya. It was never known as tomato paste… it was just known as cirio. If mum asked my dad to buy cirio he knew it was the tomato paste she required. If a recipe called for cirio we knew it is tomato paste. Unfortunately we don’t see Cirio brand nowadays on our shelves in the Kenyan supermarkets.
Dannii says
That’s really interesting. That’s a shame that it is no longer stocked there though 🙁
Emma White says
oh wow I always buy my sauce out of a jar but this sounds so much nicer
Dannii says
It’s so easy to make your own and you will save so much money too. Stock up on some Cirio products!
Emily says
This brand is a new one to me, but quality is very important to us, as is organic products.
Dannii says
Definitely give it a try, as you can really taste the difference.
Fearne says
We just made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious. So easy to make too and we doubled it to make extra for pizza night on Wednesday. Thanks for the recipe x
Dannii says
That was quick! I am glad you enjoyed it though, and enjoy pizza night!
marcie says
Congrats on the ambassadorship, Dannii, and Cirio tomato products sound like very good quality! That’s so important for a great tomato sauce, which we can’t live without in my house!
Dannii says
It’s really important to us too, which is why we love Cirio so much.
Claire @foodiequine says
You can’t beat the simplicity and flavour of a well made tomato sauce with pasta. Not all tinned tomatoes are created equal and there is such a difference to be had in using good quality ones like Cirio.
Dannii says
I can’t believe we ever used to use value tinned tomatoes, as the difference in quality is huge.
Kezia @ Super Naturally Healthy says
Love quality tomato sauce – you dont need much else ther than good quality ingredients! YUM:)
Dannii says
It’s true, and the Cirio products have so much flavour to them.
Annmarie says
Love how simple this is! Looks delicious too!
Dannii says
Thanks Annmarie 🙂
Summer says
This looks and sounds so good ♥
summerdaisy.net
Dannii says
It tasted delicious too!
Miss Kitty Kaos says
Sometimes the simplest food is the best. Especially when it comes to pasta X
Dannii says
I totally agree! I am thinking that some olives might have been nice in this though.
Nadia says
Looks delicious Dannii 🙂 Love how easy this recipe is!
Dannii says
So quick and simple – just how I am liking meals at the moment.
Cathy @ Planet Veggie says
I love tomato sauce on pasta. Sometimes the simplest things are the best 🙂
Dannii says
It’s much nicer than creamy sauces I think.
Nayna Kanabar says
This type of tomato sauce is a regular in my kitchen I freeze it in bucket loads for my daughter who is at uni. It’s so versatile.
Dannii says
There really is so much you can do with it. We are loving it on pizza at the moment.
Lynette says
I am not a fan of pasta dishes but my family love them. I’ll have to try out your recipe and see what they think 🙂
Dannii says
I think they will love this really simple sauce.
Claudia says
My grandmother is Italian and whenever we go to an Italian restaurant she says the exact same thing. Especially with the pizzas, that have around 6 different toppings on them.
We always buy cirio products too, so I am looking forward to seeing what you come up with.
Dannii says
Some of the best pizza we had in Italy had just 2 toppings on it. The potato and rosemary pizza was my favourite.
Josie Hunter says
This is a great quick weeknight meal Dannii. I would love more meals like this, as since having my little one I just don’t have as much time to cook.
Dannii says
I have lots more coming up – I am going to try and make all my Cirio recipes as quick as possible.
Julie @ Running in a Skirt says
How delicious! I noticed that from Italy too. The food was so good because it was handmade with simple, high quality ingredients without all the garbage! Great post!
Dannii says
They don’t add in all the junk like we do in the UK and U.S.
David @ Spiced says
I totally agree with you, Dannii! I once heard a chef say that you should buy the best ingredients you can afford when making Italian food. Since Italian usually involves just a couple of ingredients…you really want to make sure that those ingredients taste great. I’m thinking this tomato sauce would taste great…maybe for dinner tonight! 🙂
Dannii says
You hit the nail on the head their David. If you are buying less ingredients, which you should be, buy the best that you can afford. Luckily the Cirio products are great value.
Deborah Nicholas says
I love making my own sauces. They taste so much better and it’s good to know what goes into it too. Love pasatta as a base!
Dannii says
Exactly! You can have total control of what goes in to your sauces this way.
Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks says
When you have good quality ingredients they speak for themselves and there is no need to complicate things. Homemade pasta sauce is always a better choice than the stuff in the jars. Your pasta and tomato sauce looks perfect! You’re so lucky to visit so many wonderful places!
Dannii says
Thanks Rachelle. I would happily travel to Italy every year if I could.
lacey@fairytalesandfitness.com says
Thus sounds so yummy. I try to eat more red sauces than the heavy white cream sauces. Much healthier.
Dannii says
I do like a nice carbonara every now and then though.
Emily says
Damn, why am I reading this on my lunch? Just looking at your photos makes my stomach rumble, it looks seriously scrummy!
Dannii says
Haha, sorry about that! Pick up some Cirio on your way home and make this tonight. Quick and easy!
cheri says
Hi Dannii, I agree, the fewer the ingredients the better. Can’t wait to see what else you come up with. Have a great day!
Dannii says
I have lots of exciting recipes planned that use Cirio.
Old Fashioned Susie says
Perfecto!! This is the same as the one I make- the simpler the better.
Dannii says
Yep, the less ingredients the better I say!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
Dannii, how great to be a Cirio blogger ambassador!!! I think I’ve heard of their great products before! Are they only in the UK or can we find their products here in the states too?
Dannii says
I think they are just available in the UK and Italy, but I will check for you.
Rebecca says
I totally agree with you that good quality ingredients are worth paying for. I must admit though, we usually just get the cheapest tin tomatoes. But like you say, they are such an important ingredient that they should be the best.
I haven’t heard of this brand before though, where can I buy it?
Dannii says
You can buy them in Tesco and Waitrose.
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
Simple quality ingredients sure are key to stellar Italian food, Dannii! This pasta sauce looks lovely! Love that you didn’t over complicate it! Yay to this red sauce! Cheers, doll!
P.s. super jealous of all your travels!!!
Dannii says
We are lucky living in the UK that we have so many amazing destinations on our door step.
Yes – simplicity is key!
Heather@hungryforbalance says
You are so right about the simplicity of their ingredients! I remember when John and I went to Italy a few years ago I was amazed by how simple and delicious some of the meals were.
This sauce looks great! I don’t make make spaghetti too often, but I will definitely have to give this a try next time!
Dannii says
I think that is why I enjoy really Italian food so much, because it’s just so simple.
Mir says
I love the simplicity and goodness of Italian cooking. They know how to do it right. And your sauce looks perfect. I know what I want to eat now!
Dannii says
Simple is best I think, especially when it comes to pasta dishes.
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
I love the ease of this sauce, Dannii! I’ve only made my own sauce once, and that was for lasagna. I love how much simpler this is…sounds delicious, too!
Dannii says
It keeps really well too, so you can make a big batch to use as and when you need to.
Rhian Westbury says
For my pasta sauces I tend to just use chopped tomatoes, passata and then herbs/ spices and it works a treat but this looks like a nice alternative x
Dannii says
It’s so easy to make your own sauce, isn’t it.
Libby says
I have so many tomatoes in my garden, I don’t know what to do with them all. Do you think this would freeze well if I made a really big batch?
Dannii says
Yes, it would freeze well.
Stephanie says
All it is missing it a big chunk of garlic bread. *Droooools*
Dannii says
That would have been good!
Marissa says
Yummy! What pasta do you use? Or do you make your own?
Dannii says
I do usually make my own, but this was whole wheat pasta.
Dana says
Thanks for all the vegan recipes you are posting at the moment. I know you are not a vegan yourself, but I appreciate it 🙂
Dannii says
Your welcome
Kate says
This is proper comfort food. I would mix some ground turkey into it though.
Dannii says
You definitely could. But I do like to eat veggie meals sometimes 🙂
Tara says
Thanks for the recipe Dannii. It sounds wonderful.
Dannii says
Your welcome.
Jade says
It all looks really good. What is the dressing on the salad?
Dannii says
It is just a balsamic glaze
Amanda says
You can’t beat homemade pasta sauce. My Grandma is Italian and she makes the BEST sauce. She says there is a secret ingredient, which I don’t think there is, I think it is pretty similar to this one, but I guess it is just the fact that it is made by Grandma.
Dannii says
You can’t beat family cooked meals.
Kelly says
Simple! Just how I like my cooking to be 🙂
Dannii says
Definitely!