At least once a week, I pull a fresh and super quick pasta recipe out of my back pocket for dinner. I’ve recently added this garlic tomato sauce called sugo all’ aglione to my rotation. It isn’t one I grew up with, nor is it one that has a big story— but it is a classic Italian tomato sauce that I imagine the young Josie or Nina would have selected from their own recipe stash when an easy weeknight meal was needed.
To me, sugo all’aglione is a sauce that appeals to today’s home cook who is still looking for something fast to make for dinner that still feels special. It’s an authentic Italian tomato sauce perfect for last minute guests.
What is a “sugo”?
In Italian, sugo means “sauce” and is a sauce made with tomatoes cooked in garlic and olive oil. Aglione refers to the garlic in the sauce and the name might remind you of aglio e olio sauce (garlic and butter sauce).
This post contains links to affiliate websites including Amazon. I make a small commission for any purchases made using these links. Thank you!
Why makes this quick tomato sauce a little different
Save This Recipe!
Enter your email and we'll send it right to you!
It’s a sweet garlic tomato sauce that won’t leave you smelling like garlic. I know…you’re probably not trusting me on that but because I gently simmer whole cloves of garlic in oil, I’m less likely to knock somebody over with my breath.
I have used fresh tomatoes, as you see here, and sometimes canned tomatoes (preferably San Marzano tomatoes). A blend is nice too to maximize the tomato-ness if you will. Garden cherry tomatoes, canned cherry tomatoes, whole Italian or Roma tomatoes…all simmer down beautifully for this recipe.
Finally, I love the fact that this recipe for garlic tomato sauce is easy to adjust for a party of 2 to 12.
Best of all, simple recipes like this are ones worth memorizing and it’s hard to mess them up.
Ingredients needed for garlic tomato sauce
How to make sugo all’aglione sauce
Gather and prep all the ingredients because this is a fast moving recipe. Let’s go!
- Wash the tomatoes and peel the garlic cloves. I lay the flat side of a chef’s knife on a garlic clove and quickly smack the heel of my hand on the knife blade, smashing the cloves with the flat side of a knife.
- In a large skillet, gently heat the olive oil over medium-low heat and add in the smashed garlic cloves. Simmer the cloves until soft about 8 minutes.
Pass on the press!
Pressing garlic cloves through a press is satisfying to do but results in more intense, sharp garlic flavor and more potential for waste. Use a knife to mince garlic cloves for a milder, sweet garlic flavor and less chance of burning when sauteing in oil.
- Cook the tomatoes until they pop and the skins wrinkle up. You’ll see the olive oil transform from a greenish-gold to an orangey hue.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente. Toss into the skillet with the tomatoes. Sprinkle the whole thing with fresh basil, lots of parmesan and taste for seasoning.
Tips for success
Make ahead. While this is such a quick recipe, you could make it ahead and then reheat it gently on the stove before tossing it with hot, cooked pasta.
Canned tomatoes tip. If using whole canned Italian tomatoes, drain the liquid around the tomatoes before rough chopping.
Serving size. I recommend 2 lbs of tomatoes to 4 cloves of garlic which equates to about 4 servings. Up the garlic and tomatoes accordingly to increase the number of servings.
one more tip
Add a sprinkle of heat
Add a little chopped Calabrian chiles or crushed red pepper for a little more heat, if you desired.
Made this recipe?
I’d love it if you’d share your review and leave a star rating and comment!
Super Quick Sugo all’aglione (Garlic Tomato Sauce)
SAVE THIS RECIPE
Enter your email and we'll send it right to you!
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic , or 1 per person you are serving
- ¼ cup olive oil , to start; add more as needed
- 2 lbs cherry tomatoes, or canned cherry tomatoes; leave whole or cut in half. You can also use whole tomatoes that are roughly cored and chopped.
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, to start
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- drizzle of red wine vinegar
- sprinkle of crushed red pepper or 1-2 chopped Calabrian chiles, optional
- ½ lb cooked fresh pasta, reserve 1/2 cup pasta water from cooking a pasta like linguine, pici, spaghetti or chitarra
- 10 basil leaves, julienned or minced
- fresh grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet, gently heat the olive oil over medium-low heat and add in the smashed garlic cloves. Simmer the cloves until soft about 8 minutes.¼ cup olive oil, 4 cloves garlic
- Use the tongs of a fork to gently smash the softened garlic cloves.
- Add the tomatoes and simmer for another 8 minutes. If you use cherry or grape tomatoes and choose to leave them whole, they will burst signifying they are done. Season with salt and pepper.2 lbs cherry tomatoes, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, drizzle of red wine vinegar, sprinkle of crushed red pepper or 1-2 chopped Calabrian chiles, 10 basil leaves, fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- Sprinkle in crushed red pepper or Calabrian chiles, if using. Follow with a drizzle of red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with hot pasta adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen or stretch the sauce.
- Sprinkle with fresh basil leaves and parmesan cheese.
