Shortcut your dinner cooking routine with staples you already have in your pantry. This tomato artichoke pasta sauce recipe (also called Pasta Sauce Raphael) is ready in less than half an hour. The original called for fresh tomatoes and hours of simmering. My version is faster and tastes just as good!
It’s flavored with rich, sweet tomatoes, a bit of earthy oregano and summery basil, plus a gentle kick from red pepper flakes and plenty of black pepper.
The only thing you need to get is the jar of marinated artichoke hearts. You likely already have the rest of the ingredients in your larder (yay!). Since the basil and oregano are dried, you don’t have to go and get fresh herbs.
The best way to approach this is to begin by making the pasta. Set the pasta pot on the stove with water and start to bring it to a boil. While that’s heating up, start working on the sauce.
Save the rest of the artichokes to make the recipe again, or add them to an antipasto platter with salami, fruit, olives, and cheese on a night you don’t feel like cooking.
The remaining tomatoes can go for Pasta alla Norma with Eggplant or Small Batch Spicy Stovetop Chili
Tomato Artichoke Pasta Sauce Recipe
A wonderful summer pasta that's nearly all pantry staples you already have. The only "special" ingredient is the artichoke hearts. It's full of flavor from garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, and lots of black pepper. Spicy, but not too spicy.
Ingredients
- Pasta
- 4 oz. short pasta or tortellini
- 2 quarts of water
- pinch salt
- Sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- generous pinch red pepper flakes
- generous grinding of black pepper
- pinch kosher salt
- 1/2 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 6.5 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts (with marinade)
- 4 tsp grated Romano cheese
Instructions
- Pasta
- Measure out the water into a large pot and bring to a boil.
- Add the pasta and salt and cook for about 8 minutes, until al dente.
- Sauce
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium size saucepan.
- Add the onion, garlic, dried basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
- Add the grinding of black pepper, the tomatoes, and a pinch of salt.
- Simmer for about 8 minutes.
- Add the artichokes and marinade and simmer another minute or two.
- If the sauce gets too thick, add some of the pasta water. This will also add extra flavor to the sauce.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the sauce.
- Add 3 teaspoons of the Romano cheese to the sauce and toss everything together so that the pasta is completely coated with sauce. Taste and correct seasoning (adding more salt and pepper if needed).
- Pour the pasta and sauce into a serving bowl and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.
Tomato Artichoke Pasta Sauce Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Add a spoonful of capers to the sauce
- Intensify the tomato flavor with sun-dried tomatoes
- Try Manchego or Parmesan cheese instead of Romano
- If you don’t have the marinated artichokes, use the canned kind with some olive oil and white wine
- If you don’t like artichokes (or have them handy) replace them with mushrooms and a tablespoon of Italian dressing
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