Tomato Garlic Pasta for One: Make the Sauce Before Cooking the Pasta

Before cooking for one

Start with an ingredient you already have, then check the recipe's full ingredient list, quantities and equipment before choosing your meal. For a solo meal, use its one-serving quantities.

Cut the tomatoes into 2 cm pieces and cook the garlic first over low heat. After adding the tomatoes and salt, check whether they mash easily with a spatula. Since this is a fresh tomato sauce with the skins left on, it does not need to be as smooth as store-bought sauce. Once softened, turn off the heat and move on to cooking the pasta.

Ingredients for 1 serving

• Spaghetti: 1 bundle (labeled as 1 serving on the package)
• Tomatoes: 2 medium tomatoes
• Garlic: 2 cloves
• Olive oil: 1 household eating spoonful
• Salt: 2 pinches

The amounts are based on the recipe table in the app for 1 serving. Household eating spoonfuls and pinches are everyday measures and have not been converted to exact grams or milliliters. Check the package size and cup capacity shown in parentheses as well.

Method

• Step 1. Wash the tomatoes, remove the stems, and cut them into 2 cm pieces. Finely mince the garlic.
• Step 2. Add the olive oil and garlic to a pan and stir over low heat for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and salt, and cook over medium-low heat for 7 minutes. When the tomatoes mash easily with a spatula, turn off the heat and leave them in the pan.
• Step 3. Bring water to a boil in a pot and add the spaghetti. Stir it during the first 1 minute so it does not stick. Cook according to the package directions, reserve 3 household eating spoonfuls of pasta water for each 1 serving, then drain the pasta in a colander.
• Step 4. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce pan and mix over medium-low heat for 1 minute. If the sauce is thick, add the reserved pasta water 1 household eating spoonful at a time. Once the sauce coats the pasta evenly, turn off the heat and serve.

Do not add all the pasta water at once

Follow the cooking time on the pasta package. Before draining the pasta, reserve 3 household eating spoonfuls of pasta water for each 1 serving. Add it 1 household eating spoonful at a time as needed when mixing the sauce and pasta. You do not have to use all the reserved pasta water. Mix while checking that water is not pooling at the bottom of the pan.

If the sauce and pasta seem separate

Watch the final step of coating the pasta in the pan rather than spooning the sauce over it on the plate. Even if the sauce is already made, mixing it with warm pasta helps it coat the surface evenly. Use the package label of 1 serving as a guide for the weight of one bundle of spaghetti; do not estimate the amount by measuring with your fingers.

Continue cooking with Kkinion

You can check the ingredients and step-by-step instructions by opening the tomato garlic pasta recipe. If you change the number of servings, check the amounts shown in the app again.

This guide is based on a recipe published on Kkinion and was written by the editorial team to explain the cooking flow and key points to check. It is not a firsthand cooking or tasting review, nor does it verify nutritional effects. The cover image is an AI-generated cooking example used in the app and may differ from the actual result.

Make it yourself with a Kkinion recipe

Below are all the ingredients and cooking steps for tomato garlic pasta. First choose the amounts for the number of servings, then follow the preparation and cooking instructions at each step.

Recipe ingredients

Tomato garlic pasta · Estimated time: 30 minutes · Equipment: pot and frying pan

Choose one of the two amounts below to suit the number of people you are cooking for.

• Spaghetti: 1 serving, 1 bundle (labeled as 1 serving on the package) / 2 servings, 2 bundles (labeled as 1 serving on the package)
• Tomatoes: 1 serving, 2 medium tomatoes / 2 servings, 4 medium tomatoes
• Garlic: 1 serving, 2 cloves / 2 servings, 4 cloves
• Olive oil: 1 serving, 1 household eating spoonful / 2 servings, 2 household eating spoonfuls
• Salt: 1 serving, 2 pinches / 2 servings, 4 pinches

Full cooking instructions

Step 1. Wash the tomatoes, remove the stems, and cut them into 2 cm pieces. Finely mince the garlic.

What to check: Cut the tomato in half first and place the flat side against the cutting board to keep it from slipping.

Step 2. Add the olive oil and garlic to a pan and stir over low heat for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and salt, and cook over medium-low heat for 7 minutes. When the tomatoes mash easily with a spatula, turn off the heat and leave them in the pan.

What to check: Measure with the same household eating spoon. Fill it without letting liquids spill over, and avoid heaping thick ingredients. A pinch is the amount you can lightly pick up between the tips of your thumb and index finger. If the bottom of the pan dries out, add 1 household eating spoonful of water for each 1 serving. Make the sauce before cooking the pasta.

Step 3. Bring water to a boil in a pot and add the spaghetti. Stir it during the first 1 minute so it does not stick. Cook according to the package directions, reserve 3 household eating spoonfuls of pasta water for each 1 serving, then drain the pasta in a colander.

What to check: If the package does not mark a 1-serving portion, divide a 400 g bag of dry pasta into 5 portions and use one portion. Dividing a 500 g bag into 6 portions gives a similar amount. Nutrition information is based on about 80 g of dry pasta. For 1–2 servings, use 1 L of water (2 bottles of 500 mL each); for 3–4 servings, use 2 L of water and a pot with a capacity of at least 4 L. Adjust the default 9-minute timer to the package directions. Do not rinse the pasta in cold water; go straight to the next step.

Step 4. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce pan and mix over medium-low heat for 1 minute. If the sauce is thick, add the reserved pasta water 1 household eating spoonful at a time. Once the sauce coats the pasta evenly, turn off the heat and serve.

What to check: You do not need to use all the reserved pasta water. If the sauce is already thin, do not add more.

Check the ingredients and cooking steps for tomato garlic pasta

The images in the article are newly generated AI images based on the Kkinion recipe linked here. The featured image is also an AI-generated example. These are not photos of actual cooking or tasting, and the portions and finished appearance may differ.

Choose a meal using ingredients you have