Description
A family-friendly pasta dish featuring creamy slow-cooked elephant garlic and bright tomato passata, perfect for a comforting weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 14 oz pici pasta (fresh or dried, or thick spaghetti/bucatini)
- 14 oz tomato passata (or fresh peeled tomatoes)
- 1 head elephant garlic (or 4 cloves)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt (for pasta and to taste)
- Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- ½ fresh red chili pepper (or flakes)
- Fresh basil leaves (optional)
- Pecorino Romano (optional for non-vegans/vegetarians)
Instructions
- Peel, chop and crush the aglione. Chop the red chili pepper if using fresh, and peel and chop the tomatoes if using fresh.
- Sauté the aglione and chili pepper in olive oil just until the garlic starts to soften, then add a little warm water.
- Cover the pan and let the aglione cook slowly on low heat until soft (about 15 minutes).
- Every few minutes, mash the aglione with a fork, adding water if necessary to keep it creamy.
- Once the aglione is soft, add the tomato passata, salt, and pepper, mixing everything together. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, boil a pot of water, add salt, and cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce, mixing gently over low heat. Serve immediately with fresh basil or grated Pecorino Romano if desired.
Notes
For best results, cook the aglione on low heat to avoid browning. Reserve some pasta water to adjust sauce consistency.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 70g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 0mg