Tomato paste delivers enviably rich and complex flavors in this quick one-pot pasta. While tomato paste is already a concentrate, we further distill its flavors by cooking it over gentle heat, coaxing out any remaining water. This is an intensely tomato-ey dish that, reinforced by the addition of fresh tomatoes, spinach and basil, still feels light and summery.

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
• 1 medium yellow onion (8 ounces), diced
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated
• 1 teaspoon fine salt, divided, plus more as needed
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 4 cups no-salt-added vegetable broth or water, plus more as needed
• 1 pound short pasta, such as rigatoni, fusilli or cavatappi
• 1 bunch (8 ounces) spinach, trimmed and roughly chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound cherry or other small tomatoes, halved or quartered
• 1 cup (1 ounce) fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

Procedure

1. Heat a Dutch oven or large, shallow pot over medium heat until hot, about 3 minutes. Add the oil, followed by the onion, and cook, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste becomes darker, thicker and starts to stick to the bottom of the pot, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the sugar and stir until fragrant, 15 to 30 seconds. Add the broth or water, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring well to dissolve the tomato paste into the liquid.
2. Add the pasta and stir to prevent sticking. Cover, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes before tasting to see if the pasta is al dente – different brands and shapes of pasta will have different cooking times. If the pan looks dry, add a touch more broth or water. The sauce should “hug” the pasta without being overly saucy.
3. Once the pasta is al dente, add the spinach, drizzle with more olive oil and season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Taste, and adjust the seasonings, if desired. Cook, stirring, until the greens are just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat and stir in the tomatoes and basil until combined. Have one final taste, adjusting salt and/or pepper, if necessary.
5. Divide among bowls, scatter over the crushed red pepper flakes and serve.