Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

La storia di questo piatto

Red of sun, white of flour, green of life: this is the Italian summer on a plate, made of nothing more than ripe cherry tomatoes, spaghetti, garlic, basil and good olive oil. It is a humble, everyday dish of the Italian table, loved for its honesty.

Ingredienti

• 80 g spaghetti
• 150 g ripe tomatoes (cherry or datterini)
• 1 clove garlic
• 4 leaves basil
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 8 g fine salt
• 800 ml water for cooking

Preparazione

1. Pour 800 ml of water into a large pot and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat: this will take about 8-10 minutes. While waiting, wash the tomatoes and halve them (if cherry or datterini) or cut them into pieces about one centimeter in size. Crush the garlic clove with the palm of your hand, leaving it whole and with its thin skin if you prefer.
2. While the water is still heating, place a wide pan over medium-low heat with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the crushed garlic and let it flavor the oil for about 30 seconds, until it turns just golden: it must not darken, or it will make the sauce bitter. Remove and discard the garlic. Immediately add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt, stir, and cook for 4-5 minutes, until they soften and release their juice to form a light sauce. Keep the pan on low heat, ready to receive the pasta.
3. As soon as the water boils, salt it with 8 g of fine salt (about a heaping teaspoon) and add the spaghetti, stirring for 30 seconds with a wooden spoon from the bottom upward so they don't stick together or to the bottom. Cook for 2 minutes less than the time indicated on the package (about 7 minutes for a 10-11 minute shape), so they finish cooking in the pan. Just before draining, use a ladle to set aside about 100 ml of cooking water (half a glass).
4. Drain the spaghetti, or transfer them directly into the pan with the sauce using tongs. Raise the heat, add a couple of tablespoons of cooking water, and toss for about 1 minute, stirring constantly: the starch in the water binds the sauce to the pasta, making it creamy. If the sauce dries out too much, add more cooking water one tablespoon at a time. Taste and adjust the salt, then turn off the heat. Tear the basil leaves by hand over the pasta, add a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil, toss gently just once, and serve immediately.