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Spaghetti al Pomodoro e Zafferano (Tomato and Saffron Spaghetti)

Dave Brown

BY The Editors

PUBLISHED September 18, 2026

So many people over the years have asked me, 'What's your favourite pasta?' It might be surprising, but really it's a simple spaghetti al pomodoro! This version of this simple dish also has a touch of saffron, which adds a subtle but beautiful aroma that marries perfectly with the rest of the sauce.

The quality of the ingredients here is really important. They must be at their best if you are to get an incredible result. If you can, buy the best-quality extra virgin olive oil you can afford and bronze drawn dried pasta. As this is a summer dish, make the most of the tomatoes during or at the end of the season, when they are sweetest. – Francesco Mattana

 

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Spaghetti al Pomodoro e Zafferano (Tomato and Saffron Spaghetti)

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Makes 2 servings 1x

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 2–3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
  • 1 large garlic clove, lightly crushed
  • 500g (1 lb 2 oz) sweet baby plum tomatoes, halved
  • 10g (1/3 oz) basil, leaves picked, plus extra for garnish
  • 100ml (scant 1/2 cup) water
  • 200g (7 oz) spaghetti
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground saffron
  • 25g (1 oz) pecorino or Grana Padano cheese, grated, plus extra to serve

Instructions

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, ready to cook the pasta.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes. Ensure the garlic infuses the oil but doesn’t burn.

Add the tomatoes and season with a good pinch of salt. Stir in the half of the torn basil leaves and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the water to help the tomatoes soften, then cover the pan and let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down to create a chunky sauce.

While the sauce is simmering, salt the boiling water and cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions, or until al dente.

When the pasta is almost ready, remove the garlic clove from the sauce, place it on a board and mash it into a purée, then place it back in the sauce. Add the saffron, stir well and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Use tongs to transfer the spaghetti to the pan with the sauce. Increase the heat to medium-high and toss the spaghetti in the sauce to coat it evenly. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the pasta water to loosen it. Remove the pan from the heat, sprinkle over the cheese and the remaining basil, then drizzle with oil and stir well once more.

Serve the spaghetti straight away with more cheese and basil, if desired.

Top tip: You can also blend the sauce until smooth after adding the saffron if you prefer a velvety tomato sauce.

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