Tomato Pasta with Natural Sea Salt

How natural sea salt transforms the simplest ingredients.

Plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce topped with grated cheese and chopped herbs, with cherry tomatoes and basil leaves on a blue surface.
Blue background with no distinct objects or features.
Two white bowls of cooked bowtie pasta with tomato sauce, topped with a dollop of ricotta cheese and fresh basil leaves, on a gray surface with a fork on a white cloth napkin.

Ingredients

Serves 2

•     200g spaghetti or your favourite pasta

•     3 large ripe tomatoes, diced

•     2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

•     3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

•     A few pinches of Salt Merchant Natural Sea Salt (adjust to taste)

•     ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

•     ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

•     Handful of fresh basil leaves, torn

•     Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Method

A plate of spaghetti garnished with cherry tomatoes, basil, and sauce, arranged in an elegant presentation.
“Salting pasta water with a good natural sea salt is one of the most impactful things you can do in the kitchen. The salt seasons the pasta from the inside as it cooks.

Table salt works, but the trace minerals in a naturally processed sea salt add a rounder, cleaner flavour.”
— Salt tip

Step 1 — Salt the water properly

1.   Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a generous pinch of Salt Merchant Natural Sea Salt — about 1 tbsp per litre. The water should taste pleasantly seasoned, not salty.

2.   Cook the pasta according to packet instructions until al dente. Before draining, reserve half a cup of pasta water. This starchy water is your secret weapon for binding the sauce later.

Step 2 — Build the sauce

1.   While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant. Do not let it colour.

2.   Add the diced tomatoes and season with a pinch of Natural Sea Salt and the black pepper. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes soften and release their juices. Taste and adjust the salt as you go.

 

The salt is doing two things here: drawing moisture from the tomatoes and amplifying their natural acidity and sweetness. Artisan sea salt with intact trace minerals — as opposed to heavily refined table salt — gives you more flavour with less. That is the point of using quality salt in cooking.

Step 3 — Combine and finish

3.   Add the drained pasta to the sauce along with a splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss well to coat. Cook for another minute to bring everything together.

4.   Remove from heat. Stir in the torn basil leaves. Plate and finish with grated Parmesan if using.

Serving Suggestion

Serve immediately. A final pinch of Salt Merchant over the finished dish just before it hits the table brings everything back into focus. The flavours settle during plating and a small finishing touch restores them.

Good salt lifts the natural sweetness of fresh tomatoes. Use it well and the difference is immediate.

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