Red Tomato Spaghetti

Steps

▶ Tap a timecode to jump to roughly that moment in the video.

1. 1
   Prepare the tomato sauce base: halve 4 ripe tomatoes and place them in a blender. Add a small piece of onion, 1-2 cloves of garlic, and some water. Blend until smooth, then strain through a fine sieve.
   ▶ ≈2:43
2. 2
   Heat oil in a pot and add the strained tomato sauce. Season with salt or chicken bouillon powder, oregano, and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes, then stir in tomato puree for color and body. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes until the garlic and onion are fully cooked and no longer raw.
   ▶ ≈3:23
3. 3
   Turn off heat and let the tomato sauce cool slightly. To speed up cooling, place the pot in a bowl of ice water. Cooling the sauce prevents it from breaking when cream is added.
   ▶ ≈4:28
4. 4
   In a blender, combine the cooled tomato sauce, 1 cup of heavy cream, 100g of room-temperature cream cheese, and the roasted red bell pepper. Blend until smooth and set aside.
   ▶ ≈4:56
5. 5
   Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 teaspoons of salt, 1/4 onion, 2 garlic cloves, and 2 bay leaves. Let simmer for a few minutes to infuse flavors. Add 220g of spaghetti.
   ▶ ≈5:25
6. 6
   Stir frequently during the first few minutes of cooking to prevent sticking. Cook for about 10 minutes until al dente. Remove the onion, garlic, and bay leaves, drain the spaghetti, and reserve some pasta cooking water.
   ▶ ≈5:36
7. 7
   Melt butter in a large skillet and add the prepared cream sauce. Heat through gently. Stir in Parmesan cheese for additional flavor.
   ▶ ≈6:17
8. 8
   Add the drained spaghetti and toss well to coat with the sauce. If the sauce begins to dry out, add some reserved pasta water to achieve the desired consistency. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
   ▶ ≈6:40
9. 9
   Top with shredded melting cheese such as Oaxaca, Chihuahua, or mozzarella. Cover the skillet to allow the cheese to melt completely. Once melted, the red spaghetti is ready to serve.
   ▶ ≈7:16