If you’re in the need of a super quick and easy side dish, this might be the one for you.
I wanted something really fast and easy tonight so I turned to my pantry. I had some pasta, some tomato paste, and I knew I had some feta in the fridge. Easy. I’ll just mix up a batch of my (not) sun dried tomato sauce, toss some pasta in it, crumble on a little feta for extra oomph, and I’ll be good to go!
I halved the olive oil from the original (not) sun dried tomato sauce, which helped it stick to the pasta better. If you have some fresh herbs (parsley or basil), add it in for color and a pop of freshness. If you need something a little more hearty, try adding in some sauteed and sliced Italian sausage links. Pair this with some garlic bread and maybe some roasted broccoli and you’ve got a nice, light dinner!
Tangy Tomato Pasta
Tangy Tomato Pasta
Servings 4Ingredients
- 8 oz. thin spaghetti ($0.97)
- 3 Tbsp olive oil ($0.36)
- 1 clove garlic ($0.08)
- 1/2 tsp dried basil ($0.03)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.03)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp dried rosemary ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme ($0.02)
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper ($0.02)
- freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 3 oz. tomato paste ($0.26)
- 1/2 tsp honey ($0.02)
- 3 oz. feta cheese ($1.31)
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over a high flame.
- While waiting for the water to boil, begin the tomato sauce in a separate skillet. Mince a clove of garlic and combine it with the olive oil, basil, oregano, salt, rosemary, thyme, crushed red pepper, and cracked black pepper. Heat over a medium flame. Stir the mixture and allow it to start sizzling. Stir and sizzle for about one minute.
- Add the tomato paste, turn the heat down to medium-low, and continue to cook and stir until the mixture turns a darker shade of red (about 2 minutes more). Turn off the heat and then stir in the honey.
- When the water begins to boil hard, add the spaghetti. Cook for 7-10 minutes or until tender. Once the pasta is tender, drain briefly and then add it to the skillet with the tomato sauce. Stir to coat. (Reserve about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water to add back into the pasta if it becomes dry while mixing with the tomato sauce).
- Crumble about 2 ounces of feta cheese into the skillet and stir to combine. Divide the pasta onto individual plates and crumble about a 1/4 ounce more of feta over top of each serving. Enjoy!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!
Step By Step Photos
Begin to boil a large pot of water for the pasta. In the meantime, begin the sauce. Mince a clove of garlic and combine it in a skillet with the rest of the herbs and spices (oregano, basil, salt, thyme, rosemary, crushed red pepper, and cracked black pepper). Stir and heat that mixture over a medium flame. Let it come up to a sizzle and then continue stirring for about one minute.
Next add the tomato paste (half of a little 6 oz. can) and stir into the oil herb mixture. Turn the heat down slightly so that it doesn’t burn and continue to cook and stir until the tomato paste turns from a bright red to this darker shade of burgundy. Turn the heat off and then stir in the honey.
By this time the water is probably boiling and you can add the pasta. Cook the pasta for 7-10 minutes or until tender.
Save some of the starchy pasta cooking water in case the pasta gets dry while you’re mixing it all together.
Briefly drain the cooked pasta and add it to the skillet with the tomato sauce. Stir to coat. If it gets dry or sticky, add a touch of the pasta cooking water to loosen it up. Just a touch.
Crumble about 2 ounces of feta over top and stir it in. Use the rest of the feta to sprinkle over the top of each serving.
Simple, fast, easy.
I wonder what a splash of wine would do to this tomato sauce… Mmmmm.
I made this with steamed kale and goat cheese instead of feta- DELICIOUS!
Just made this and it was delicious. Although I burned the garlic and probably overcooked the tomatoes, I just added more honey than the recipe called for. It was still yummy and tasted like sundried tomato pesto although cost much much less! Thanks!
It looks wonderful on photos! Good recipe.
This is delicious! Love your blog, thanks for sharing your ideas and recipes.
YUUUUUMYYYY !!! Looks tasty and easy. I love that you give us the recipe, quantities and costs – it makes your blog special. Thanks!
It looks so easy but its not i really like the Spaghetti because its taste is so delicate and rich and more healthy…
Rico`s Pizzeria
Yum – just made this for dinner and added some chicken in with it. So tasty and such an easy meal to make!
It looks so easy and I bet it tastes great! I’m looking forward to trying it!
My happiness at having found your blog is tempered only by disdain at not having encountered it YEARS ago!!!!!!
Pasta, pasta, pasta! I love simple recipes like this that require almost no ingredients or effort, and yet somehow turn into an amazing feast. :)
I just made this and it was amazing and so easy! This is going into the regular rotation for sure.
Caroline – Yes, fresh herbs would be amazing. You’ll want to use more than a 1/2 tsp, though, because they’re bulkier. You don’t even really need to measure, just throw in a small handful of whatever you have on hand :)
I’ve been making this style of pasta sauce for years. A splash of balsamic vinegar is often a nice addition. Wine works, but I like the balsamic better. I also like to add crushed up nuts of various kinds, sliced olives, all kinds of things really. And yes, fresh herbs work fine, that’s what I usually use. I’d up amounts slightly depending on what kind of herbs you are using, myself.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Yum!!!! This looks amazing! Do you think it could be made with all fresh herbs instead of dried? Would the ratios be the same?? YUM! Can’t wait to make this!