Cinnamon Free Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce
A classic Italian-American staple, this spaghetti marinara is built on a short, honest ingredient list that lets every component shine. San Marzano tomatoes get crushed by hand and simmered low and slow with golden garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes, creating a sauce that's bright, deeply savory, and naturally free of the warm spice blends that can sneak into store-bought jarred versions. For anyone navigating a sensitivity to cinnamon, that's actually a bigger concern than it sounds — many commercial pasta sauces and Italian spice blends include it as a background note, so making your own from scratch is the cleanest route. The technique here is straightforward: bloom the garlic gently, let the tomatoes reduce until the olive oil rises to the surface, then toss the al dente spaghetti right in the pan so every strand gets coated. A splash of reserved pasta water helps the sauce cling beautifully without any thickeners or additives. Torn fresh basil and a finishing drizzle of good olive oil bring it all together with an herby lift that feels genuinely restaurant-worthy. This is the kind of weeknight dinner that proves simple cooking, done carefully, is almost always the most satisfying.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the pasta
- 12 oz spaghetti
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
For the sauce
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 can (28 oz) whole peeled san marzano tomatoes
- ½ tsp sugar
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
For serving
- 1–2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing
- parmesan cheese, freshly grated (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the kosher salt, then the spaghetti, and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente — tender with a slight resistance at the center, about 1–2 minutes less than the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining. Drain the spaghetti through a colander and set aside.
- 2
While the pasta water heats, pour the canned tomatoes into a large bowl and crush them by hand, breaking them into rough, uneven pieces. Set aside.
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