My Pasta Pomodoro with Fresh Basil

Ingredients

• 🍝300 g spaghetti or linguine
• 🥫800 g canned whole peeled tomatoes
• 🧄2 cloves garlic
• 🧅½ small onion
• 🌿¼ cup fresh basil leaves
• 🫒2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 🌶️½ tsp red pepper flakes
• 🧂 salt, to taste
• 🧂 black pepper, to taste
• 🧀¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

Method

1. 1Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente.
2. 2While pasta cooks, finely chop the garlic and onion. Crush the canned tomatoes with your hands or a fork.
3. 3Heat olive oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes; sauté until fragrant and softened, about 3-5 minutes.
4. 4Pour in the crushed tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly.
5. 5Drain the cooked pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
6. 6Add the drained pasta to the sauce. Toss well, adding a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
7. 7Stir in most of the fresh basil leaves, torn or roughly chopped. Serve immediately, garnished with extra basil and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.