Italian-Style Pasta with Cajun-Spiced Tomato Sauce

By AislePrompt Editorial · ·

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are drafted and published.

A vibrant pasta dish combining classic Italian ingredients with a smoky Cajun twist inspired by diverse U.S. ethnicities. This Italian pasta recipe, ready in about 30 minutes, pairs spaghetti, olive oil, and yellow onion for a weeknight-friendly dinner. Each serving lands at about 520 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Build a week of meals around this recipe" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 10 min Cook: 20 min Serves 4 Italian cuisine 520 cal/serving
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Ingredients

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Instructions

  1. Step 1: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add 12 oz spaghetti and cook for 8-10 minutes until al dente, then drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
  2. Step 2: While pasta cooks, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 medium finely diced yellow onion and sauté for 5 minutes until softened and translucent.
  3. Step 3: Add 3 minced garlic cloves to the skillet and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  4. Step 4: Stir in 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Simmer the sauce over low heat for 10 minutes until slightly thickened.
  5. Step 5: Add the drained spaghetti to the sauce along with 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves and toss well, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
  6. Step 6: Serve topped with 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese for a rich finish.

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