The Bear Spaghetti Recipe (Spaghetti Pomodoro)

This spaghetti pomodoro recipe consists of tender pasta tossed in a basil-infused tomato sauce to create an Italian dish like no other. Easy to whip up in less than an hour with restaurant-worthy results, you'll find yourself making this for dinner time and time again!

This spaghetti pomodoro recipe recreates the iconic pasta from The Bear. If you haven't heard of it before, The Bear is a show on Hulu about a fine-dining chef who comes home from Chicago to run his family's sandwich shop. This copycat recipe makes the family meal spaghetti that's just like the one from the show! 

Why You'll Love This Recipe

The flavor. You won't find another pasta dish like this Bear spaghetti. It takes regular spaghetti and sauce to another level with the homemade pomodoro sauce. It's a rich sauce with a depth of flavor from the fresh basil, garlic, butter, and a slight kick from the red pepper flakes. 

Easy to prepare. Even though this tastes like it's from a restaurant, it's actually so simple to make. You just have to cook the sauce while the spaghetti cooks and the majority of it is hands-off cooking.

It's always a hit. If you're serving this family meal spaghetti to someone who's watched the show, they'll be blown away! But even if someone hasn't heard of it before, they'll still love this spaghetti. It's been a huge success every time I've served it, so I can almost guarantee it'll be a hit for you too.

Ingredients Needed

• Oil- I used extra virgin olive oil in this recipe.
• Red pepper flakes- the flakes add a little spice to the pomodoro sauce.
• Basil leaves- a fresh, powerful herb to bring freshness to the sauce.
• Garlic- whole cloves to add a deep, savory flavor.
• Onion-  I used white onions here, but any cooking onion works well.
• Butter- adds flavor to the sauteed onions.
• San Marzano Tomatoes- the base for the homemade tomato sauce.
• Spaghetti- the best pasta to use in this dish.
• Parmesan cheese- completes the dish. 

How To Make Pasta From The Bear

Step 1: Prepare the basil mixture. Add the olive oil, red pepper flakes, garlic, and basil to a large pot. Put it over medium heat and cook for a couple of minutes, just until the basil is wilted and the garlic starts to brown.

Step 2: Blend the ingredients. Remove the ingredients from the pot and transfer them to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and scrape the sides of the blender every few pulses. 

Step 3: Cook the tomatoes. Take out another large pot, set it over medium heat, and add the butter and the onion to it. Cook for a couple of minutes until the butter melts and the onion is translucent. Add the San Marzano tomatoes and mix them with the butter and onion. Let the mixture cook over low heat for 20 minutes.

Step 4: Prepare the spaghetti. While the sauce is cooking, you can add the spaghetti to a pot of salted boiling water and cook it according to the package directions.

Step 5: Finish the sauce. As soon as the sauce is done cooking, add the garlic and basil mixture to the pot with the tomato sauce. Remove the onion and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 6: Combine and serve. Once the spaghetti is cooked, add it to the pot of sauce and give it a mix. Serve the al dente spaghetti with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top. Enjoy!

Tips To Make The Best Recipe

• Garlic cooks very quickly, so be careful not to burn the garlic cloves while cooking them.
• If you don't have a blender or food processor, an immersion blender will work just as well to blend the sauce.
• Stir the tomatoes occasionally to heat them through. This will also help to keep the tomatoes and onion from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
• Don't overcook your spaghetti! You want it to have a little bite to it, so cook it to just al dente.
• For a quick meal, make the sauce ahead of time and then just cook the spaghetti and warm the sauce up in the microwave and combine.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

In the fridge: Leftovers keep really well in the fridge. Transfer any leftover pasta to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for about 4 days.

In the freezer: Did you know that you can freeze cooked spaghetti? Simply let the dish cool completely before transferring the pasta to a freezer-safe airtight container or freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Reheating: My favorite way to reheat this dish is to put the spaghetti in a skillet over medium heat. Warm it up for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until it reaches your desired temperature. It crisps up the noodles a little bit and makes it addictive. For another method, you can warm it in the microwave in 30-second increments. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between pomodoro sauce and marinara sauce?

Both sauces are tomato-based, but the biggest difference is that the marinara sauce is chunkier, and the pomodoro sauce is smoother since all the ingredients for it are blended together.

What are San Marzano Tomatoes?

San Marzano tomatoes are a type of plum tomato that is canned and peeled. They're famous for their sweet, intense tomato flavor, which makes them perfect for making sauces. You can substitute them for regular canned tomatoes if you want. 

What can I serve with this recipe?

I love serving it with this baguette garlic bread and Olive Garden salad. It also goes well with something heartier like these crock pot frozen meatballs or this dump and bake meatball casserole.

More Pasta Recipes

• Trenette al pesto from the movie Luca
• Gigi Hadid pasta
• Ratatouille
• Pasta with peas
• French onion pasta
• Baked spaghetti with cream cheese