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Campanelle with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Mar 5, 2020 · 27 Comments

Today we’re preparing a super simple fresh tomato sauce, a recipe that every home cook should have in their repertoire. It’s a great ‘base recipe’ that can be embellished on almost endlessly, is great for busy weeknights.

Why You’ll Love Today Fresh Tomato Sauce

1) Super Simple. If you can sauté vegetables in a cast iron pan and boil water, you can prepare today’s fresh tomato sauce, which cuts to the second reason you’ll love today’s recipe…

2) It’s Great for Busy Weeknights. For such a simple recipe, today’s sauce is super satisfying, and packs a lot of flavor, meaning it’s great for weeknights where you might be short on time but still want something that leaves you feeling content.

3) It Keeps Nicely, Heats up Beautifully. Today’s sauce keeps excellently for several days in the fridge, and can be heated up nicely without fear of overcooking or drying it out.

Ingredients – Notes and Tips

1) Cooking With Wine – Or How I Learned to Stop Fearing The Splash and ‘Wine’ My Sauce. Today we’re only using a quarter of cup, and this is primarily because we don’t want too much liquid in the sauce – but more on that in a moment, first a few notes on cooking with wine. First and foremost, as with all liquids, a portion of the wine will simply evaporate, or be soaked into the other ingredients. Secondly, not only will a portion of the wine evaporate, in total, but ‘all’ of its alcohol ‘will’ evaporate entirely, as alcohol has a much a lower boiling point than water. For reference, the boiling point of alcohol is 173 degrees Fahrenheit, well under than the 212 degree boiling point of water. This means that even before the sauce has reached a ‘gentle simmer,’ the alcohol will have entirely departed the sauce in the form of steam – which, by itself, will reduce the total amount of ‘wine’ you’ve added by anywhere from twelve to fifteen percent, depending on the wine you’ve used. That said, in total, about one quarter to one third of the wine you use will simply vanish as steam. Translation, feel free to increase the amount of wine in today’s recipe up to about a half a cup, depending on how much ‘acidity’ and ‘wine flavor’ you like in your sauce – it’s purely preference. However, if you add more than a half a cup, you risk making the sauce too watery.

2) Pecorino Romano vs Parmesan vs Reggiano. One of the most enduring ‘Food Myths’ is that all grating cheese is more or less ‘the same.’ To start, Parmesan is simply American produced Parmigiano Reggiano – both are produced from cow’s milk, and both are aged for two or more years, which imparts the cheeses with what many describe as a ‘sharp’ and ‘salty’ flavor. Parmigiano Reggiano ‘must’ be produced in Italy due to EU and Italian trademark laws. So, at least in this case, the two grating cheeses are ‘basically’ the same, although Reggiano is considerably pricier, and regarded to be of generally higher quality overall. Pecorino Romano, by contrast, is produced from sheep’s milk, and is only aged for less than a year, giving it a slightly less sharp and considerably less salty flavor. Despite these differences, these three cheeses are often used interchangeably, and once they’ve been melted over sauce, or baked into something like a lasagna, few if any palates would ‘really’ be able to tell the difference unless these cheeses were used in positively ‘silly’ amounts. Bonus Fact: Locatelli is ‘not’a variety of cheese, it is instead an Italian brand of Romano.

3) Pignoli Nuts – What are they? Is there a Substitute? Pinoli, Pignolias, or piñón, are simply pine nuts. They are valued for their small size, tender or even ‘buttery’ texture when cooked, and the large amount of oil that they contain – relative to their small size – which seeps out into the food they are being cooked in, thereby spreading their flavor more intensely and evenly than other nuts. As a result, a truly ‘good’ substitute is hard to find, since very few, if any, other nut carries this precise combination of desirable traits. For today’s recipe, I would likely opt for chopped almonds if you ‘must’ replace the Pignoli nuts.

Great Pairings With Today’s Recipe.

1) Breadsticks. At the risk of being old fashioned, I’m going to suggest breadsticks to pair with today’s sauce, and these are much easier to prepare than you might think. Paired with some olive oil for dipping, or even some herbed butter or black coffee, these are super versatile and keep great. As a nice bonus, they never failt to impress the guests.

2) Meatballs. Fresh tomato sauce and meatballs, need I say more? My current favorite way to prepare meatballs are with raisins and pignoli nuts, and then to pan fry them, which create a beautifully moist, subtly sweet meatball that’s simply a delight from start to finish.

Living the Gourmet

Serves 4

373

Campanelle with Fresh Tomato Sauce

10 minPrep Time

20 minCook Time

30 minTotal Time

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4.9 based on 18 review(s)

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Ingredients

  • 2 pints of cherry tomatoes
  • ½ sweet onion – chopped
  • 1 bunch of Italian parsley – stems removed and chopped
  • 5 - 6 cloves of garlic - chopped
  • ¼ cup pine nuts - toasted
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 tbs. dried oregano
  • ¼ cup white wine
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
  • 1 ½ tbs. capers
  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • 2 – 3 tbs. olive oil
  • Ricotta cheese – for garnish
  • 1 lb. of your favorite pasta

Instructions

  1. Heat a large cast iron frying pan and place the tomatoes in the dry pan. Sprinkle the tomatoes with sugar and salt.
  2. Let the tomatoes cook until they are slightly charred and blister; remove and set aside.
  3. Heat the same pan with a tablespoon of olive oil and add the chopped onion and garlic and season with a sprinkle of sugar, salt, fresh ground black pepper, red pepper flakes and dried oregano. Sauté until the onion is softened and the garlic is fragrant.
  4. Add half of the chopped parsley and the capers and toss.
  5. Add the tomatoes, wine and grated cheese and simmer on a gentle heat for 10 – 12 minutes; taste for seasoning; then remove from heat and cover.
  6. Toast the pine nuts in a small cast iron frying pan until they become a beautiful golden color and set aside.
  7. Prepare the pasta as directed in well salted water.
  8. Using a slotted spoon lift the pasta from the water and let drain; then place into the tomato sauce.
  9. Place half of the toasted pine nuts into the pasta and toss.
  10. Finish the dish with a scoop of ricotta cheese, fresh parsley, grated cheese, pine nuts, a drizzle of olive oil, a dash of red pepper flakes and toasted pine nuts.
7.8.1.2
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kristine Nicole Alessandra says

    05/03/2020 at 10:54 pm

    Oh my, this dish looks so delicious. I am happy to learn that it is so easy to prepare, and yes, I agree with you, this is perfect for busy weeknights. I saved the recipe and will make this for our family's pasta-pizza Friday.
    Reply
  2. Chad says

    05/03/2020 at 10:56 pm

    ahhhh the fresh ingredients...I would love to make it soon, i love to cook new recipes.
    Reply
  3. Whitney Morrow says

    05/03/2020 at 11:53 pm

    This looks delicious, and not that hard to make! I'm going to try this for Sunday dinner.
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  4. Tina says

    05/03/2020 at 11:56 pm

    I am not the cook in my house but this looks good enough to try. 😋
    Reply
  5. angiesrecipes says

    06/03/2020 at 4:56 am

    Quick, easy to make and so delicious too!
    Reply
  6. Cristina Petrini says

    06/03/2020 at 8:24 am

    Talk to me about pasta and you will make me a very happy woman. Yummy. Seems like a simple recipe, I'll try it!
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  7. Melissa Cushing says

    06/03/2020 at 2:59 pm

    I just pinned and printed this recipe as it looks amazing! I am alway looking for fresh recipes like this one and I am making this this weekend for my family. My husband will love it so thank you for sharing! So yummy looking and you had me at Fresh Tomato Sauce :)
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  8. Heather says

    06/03/2020 at 5:23 pm

    If it was up to me, I'd eat pasta on a daily basis. This sounds so good. I can't wait to try it!
    Reply
  9. DAVID J MYERS says

    06/03/2020 at 6:05 pm

    Catherine, Very nice indeed! Love the pine nuts for added flavor... Love pasta and while I love meat with my pasta, this recipe packs enough interest I could skip the meat for once. Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
    Reply
  10. Yeah Lifestyle says

    06/03/2020 at 9:38 pm

    As a family we eat a lot of pasta and I am often looking to change up my tomato sauce and your recipe is simple enough my kids will eat yet so flavourful
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  11. Sue-Tanya Mchorgh says

    07/03/2020 at 1:49 am

    This sounds great. I love eating pasta. I can't wait to try this.
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  12. priya says

    12/03/2020 at 10:36 pm

    This recipe looks stunning :)
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  13. Chiara says

    14/03/2020 at 6:12 pm

    It's a terrible period and now a good pasta dish is comforting, a warm hug, let's go ahead, we will get out !
    Reply
  14. Ben says

    16/03/2020 at 4:43 pm

    Aww yeah! Get in my belly! That looks seriously delicious.
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  15. Gloria says

    16/03/2020 at 8:55 pm

    I am a pasta fanatic. I could eat it everyday!! I also love using fresh tomatoes to make the sauce. The flavour is fantastic. I love to mix and match the types as well. What a great and easy weeknight dinner idea.
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  16. Olivia Wilson says

    17/03/2020 at 6:35 am

    This is a delicious dish with never to hard make...i love your recipe with beautiful pictures....i will trying this weekend night dinner....Thanks to sharing.....!
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  17. Chef Dennis says

    17/03/2020 at 7:07 am

    This Campanelle with Fresh Tomato Sauce is making me super hungry! I will definitely try making this especially now that we all need to stay at home as much as possible. This is perfect!
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  18. Aleta says

    17/03/2020 at 5:49 pm

    You’re making me hungry! That pasta looks incredibly delicious, I love the combination of cherry tomatoes, fresh Parmesan and parsley, plus the toasted pine nuts?? Yum!
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  19. Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says

    18/03/2020 at 3:24 am

    Wow this looks so perfect!! I have all of these ingredients at home so I am DEFINITELY going to try this this week!
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  20. Sharon says

    19/03/2020 at 2:48 pm

    Simple pasta dishes are key to keeping your family fed without getting bored. This dish does just that!
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  21. Bernice Hill says

    19/03/2020 at 11:39 pm

    This looks like such a comforting and delicious dish. Campanelle is one of my favourite pasta shapes. It always just looks so fancy.
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  22. Kelly Anthony says

    20/03/2020 at 9:10 pm

    Not only is it beautiful and full of flavor but it is also quick and easy to prepare for my family during busy weeknights.
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  23. Veronika says

    22/03/2020 at 12:01 am

    This looks like a perfect comforting meal for a cold night! Though, I can eat pasta every single day!
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  24. Amy Liu Dong says

    22/03/2020 at 3:11 am

    Awww! This recipe makes me so hungry, got saved the recipe and will definitely make this for our dinner tonight.
    ★★★★☆
    Reply
  25. Jacque Hastert says

    23/03/2020 at 3:08 pm

    I have everything to make this in my pantry! I love it when I can skip a trip to the store and make delicious sauce at home.
    ★★★★★
    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Cayenne Chicken Strips with a Balsamic Glaze - Living The Gourmet says:
    18/03/2020 at 6:48 pm
    […] Fresh Tomato Sauce. For me, a fresh light tomato sauce under the sun is how I think of ‘warm weather cuisine.’ A […]
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  2. Recipes to Kickstart 2021 - Living The Gourmet says:
    05/01/2021 at 6:42 pm
    […] CAMPANELLE WITH FRESH TOMATO SAUCE […]
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