Easy Spicy Tomato Pasta Recipe

This spicy tomato pasta is the perfect standby meal. It's quick and easy to prepare and makes  a great midweek meal with tasty leftovers too if you make enough!

This is my number one standby meal and I seem to make it at least once every couple of weeks, sometimes even once a week. It's really quick and easy to make. I start cooking the pasta and by the time the pasta is ready, the sauce is too.

You may be thinking that to get a really rich tasty pasta sauce you need to simmer the sauce for a long time for it to thicken and develop in flavour. That's true. However, sometimes you just want a quick and tasty meal and that's still possible without the long simmer.

A store cupboard meal

For us this spicy tomato pasta is definitely a store cupboard recipe. It uses ingredients that we always have at home. Tinned tomatoes are a staple ingredient in so many recipes - curries, stews, soups as well as some of my other pasta recipes. I always have a few tins of tomatoes in the cupboard.

Tomatoes, peppers and onions are the vegetables that I always have at home too. I use onions in so many recipes that I am always stocked up. Fresh tomatoes and peppers are also vegetables that I use so much I always seem to have a few in the fridge.

Can you use fresh herbs?

Of course you can if you have them but if you have a well stocked supply of dried herbs it's great when you need to create a delicious store cupboard meal. Oregano or basil both work really well in this spicy tomato pasta dish.

Why this spicy tomato pasta recipe is special

This dish is quite special for me as it is one of the meals my husband cooked for me back when we first met. Nowadays it's normally me who does the cooking but I still make it the way he likes. That means adding the fresh tomatoes at the last minute and not cooking the onions too much.

I also have this recipe to thank for helping me develop my love of spicy food. Because it was such a popular recipe it gradually became spicier and spicier. At first very little chilli pepper was added but one day I realised I actually could handle spicy food. I already loved spices and using spices in cooking but I then began using chilli peppers in all kinds of recipes too.

How to adapt this easy tomato pasta recipe

This pasta recipe is easy to adapt and I often vary the recipe depending on what we have in the fridge. If you have courgettes or aubergines they go very well. I also like to add a few olives.

If you don't have tinned tomatoes then use extra diced fresh tomatoes plus a little tomato puree. You could also use passata as a substitute.

Storing and reheating the leftovers

Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to three days and then reheated either in the oven or microwave. I do find that the pasta tends to absorb more of the sauce and is a little less al dente though!

Alternatively you can store the pasta and the sauce separately. Stir a little olive oil through the cooked pasta to prevent it sticking and then store it in an airtight container. The sauce can also be stored separately in another airtight container.

You can also freeze the leftovers for up to three months. Defrost and then reheat the cooked pasta and sauce in the oven or in the microwave until piping hot.

Recipe

Spicy Tomato Pasta

Corina Blum

This spicy tomato pasta is the perfect standby meal.   It's quick and easy to prepare and makes  a great midweek meal with tasty leftovers too if you make enough!

4.47 from 15 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Main Course, pasta

Cuisine Italian

Servings 2

Calories 531 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 150 g pasta
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 pepper red, orange or yellow, cut into slices
• 1-2 birdseye chilli peppers thinly sliced
• 1 onion peeled and sliced
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 2 tablespoon tomato puree
• 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano or basil
• 3 tomatoes cut into wedges
• 30 g cheese grated (optional)

Instructions

 

• Put the pasta on to boil until al dente.
• Stir fry the pepper and chilli pepper with a little oil. 
• Add the onions and garlic. I like to still have a little crunch in the onions but you could add then earlier if you prefer them to be softer. 
• Then, add the tomato puree, chopped tomatoes and oregano. Bring to the boil and simmer.  Stir in the fresh tomatoes near the end and heat through.
• When the pasta is done, the sauce is ready. Serve with grated cheese on top.
  

Notes

Nutritional information is approximate and a guideline only.

Nutrition

Calories: 531kcalCarbohydrates: 85gProtein: 19gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 378mgPotassium: 1341mgFiber: 9gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 2200IUVitamin C: 53.5mgCalcium: 231mgIron: 4.8mg

Keyword spicy tomato pasta

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More Delicious Pasta Recipes

If you like this pasta recipe then do try one of my other pasta dishes:

• Easy tomato and chorizo pasta
• Harissa pasta with roasted vegetables
• Avocado spaghetti with chilli and lime

If you're looking for easy store cupboard pasta recipes then do check out my tinned mackerel pasta as well. You might also like my collection of easy spicy recipes perfect for midweek meals.

Keep in Touch

Do let me know if you make this spicy tomato pasta. I love to get feedback from readers.

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