Throughout her 70-year plus Hollywood career, Sophia Loren has wholly embodied the image of Italian glamour. The Oscar-winning actress is know for her impressive acting chops, as well as her iconic beauty, elegance and style. Loren, who just turned 91, is also known for her love of classic Italian cooking.Famously, in a 1961 interview with Life magazine, she was quoted as saying, “Everything you see, I owe to spaghetti.” In later interviews, Loren said that the quote was "completely made up," but the sentiment is still associated with the famous actress.Despite the accuracy of the quote, what is clear is that Loren is a food person. The actress published her first cookbook—In Cucina con Amore, or In the Kitchen with Love, as it was titled in the English version—in 1971. The book was a collection of timeless Italian dishes coupled with personal photos and notes from Loren. Included in the book was one of Loren’s more well-known recipes, a simple Neapolitan-style tomato sauce with spaghetti. As a fan of both Loren and simple pasta dishes, I decided to give this recipe a try for myself, and it was absolutely delightful. Loren’s tomato sauce is the kind of recipe that proves the power of simplicity. With just a handful of staple kitchen ingredients, Loren’s recipe transports you from your kitchen straight to a villa in Southern Italy. It’s fresh, bright and, most importantly, so easy to whip up. Related: I Tried 13 Different Brands of Spaghetti and Found a New Favorite?? SIGN UP to get delicious recipes, handy kitchen hacks & more in our daily Parade Eats newsletter. ??
What Makes Sophia Loren’s Spaghetti Sauce So Special?
It’s completely unsurprising coming from an icon like Sophia Loren, but there's something incredibly elegant about her tomato sauce recipe. It’s simple and refined, but has so much to offer. For starters, you don’t need a dozen different ingredients–just tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, basil, salt and a bit of sugar.
There’s nothing more comforting than a freshly-made plate of spaghetti, but it’s even better when the process of cooking it isn’t a long labor of love. The key here is to let the ingredients do the talking. Quality counts most when it comes to simple cooking. Use fresh, ripe Roma tomatoes, or high-quality San Marzano canned tomatoes. Fresh garlic is a must. I know the jars of pre-diced garlic you find in the grocery store are extremely convenient, it won’t do the sauce justice. The same goes for using fresh basil over dried.
The end result will surprise you. I, for one, was majorly impressed with the amount of flavor from just a few simple ingredients and a little bit of time.
Related: The Italian Way to Make a Grilled Cheese Sandwich 10x Better
You start by peeling the tomatoes, and then crushing them using your hands or a wooden spoon, or dicing them. Next you’ll heat the olive oil in a pot, and sauté the crushed garlic.
Add the tomatoes, salt, and sugar, followed by the fresh basil. Lower the heat, and let the sauce simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring often throughout. While the sauce is simmering, use that time to boil and drain the spaghetti.
Once your sauce has reached your desired thickness, twirl the spaghetti in, getting all of the noodles fully coated in the lush tomato sauce. Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top, and ta-da!
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My Honest Review of Sophia Loren’s Neapolitan-Style Tomato Sauce
Courtesy Nicole Rufus
I think it’s clear by now that I’m a huge fan of this recipe. Ultimately, what I loved most was that it hardly felt like a recipe at all. It was more like a guide, or advice from a friend's nonna, who in this case happens to be a world-renowned movie star. Intuition is your guide when it comes to this tomato sauce, and ultimately being a good home cook is all about learning to trust your instincts in the kitchen. I was too lazy to peel the tomatoes, so I didn't! There's room to be a little loose here, which I love.
It’s also the perfect foundation sauce to build on based on your tastes. I personally added some red pepper flakes and tossed in some meatballs I had made earlier, which was perfection. I’ve seen commenters online mention that they add anchovies to the sauce for extra flavor, and I think that’s an excellent idea. In the end, if you decide not to change a thing, you will still be a very happy camper, and I think that’s what makes the recipe such a hit.
Related: The Italian Home Cook Trick for Making Creamy Pasta Sauce Without the Cream
My 3 Tips for Making Sophia Loren’s Spaghetti Sauce
You really want to make sure that the garlic doesn’t burn or become overly browned when you’re sautéing it. With so few ingredients, you really taste every minor flaw, and burnt garlic is a bitter note you won’t want in this dish.
2. Watch the pasta
Another thing you want to be sure and avoid is overcooking the pasta. When you coat the noodles in the piping hot tomato sauce, they'll soften up a bit more, so cooking the noodles to al dente helps avoid soggy noodles.
3. Remember the power of pasta water
Reserve about a 1/4 cup of the pasta water when you go to drain the spaghetti. When you’re combining the tomato sauce and pasta, drizzle in about a tablespoon of the pasta water at a time, until the sauce has completely and thoroughly coated each noodle.
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