Whitout any doubts, the italian cusine in a dish: simplicity and importance of the ingredients! This dish reminds me of the lunches I had with my Grandpa and Grandma right after school. The smell of the garlic sizzling in the oil and the richness of the tomatoes cooking slowly with that absolute divine aroma of fresh basil! Yes, it needs to cook slowly with lots of love and attention. When buying the roma tomatoes try to look for the mature ones, which will have that great sweet juice you want for the sauce! As you make this dish, keep in mind the three colors you want to see in your creation: brilliant red of the tomatoes, green of the basil and white of the shreded Parmigiano Reggiano…

Ingredients

For the sauce

• 5/6 fresh roma tomatoes (also known as plum tomatoes)
• fresh basil leaves
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• salt

For the pasta

• 150g of spaghetti (tichkenss – number 12)
• salt

Final touch

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Parmiggiano Reggiano
• Fresh basil

1. Make the fresh tomato sauce. Start by putting extra virigin olive oil in a sauce pan and add 2 garlic cloves.

2. As the garlic start “sizzling”, throw in the tomatoes, previously cut into small cubes, add some water, salt and put the lid on. Occasionally, stir the sauce and be sure it does not get dry. The more it cooks (slowly, low flame!) the tastier and richer it gets!

2. Fill a stock pot with water, add some salt and put the lid on. Turn on a high flame and wait for the water to boil (when you start to see big bubbles coming up!).
3. Once the water starts boiling, take the lid out and “throw” the spaghetti in the pot. The pasta will need to cook for about 10 minutes, but make sure to read the time suggested by the specific brand you bought (De Cecco, really suggested😁). Always for ”al dente” time.

4. 2 minutes before the cooking time has passed, transfer your spaghetti into the sauce pan and now increased the heat with no lid on. As the pasta gets cooked in the sauce, add a littke water from the stock pot rich in starch. Stir well and as the sauce has dry out slighly and almost becoming a nice cream, turn off the heat.

5. Away from heat, add some extra virign olive oil in the pasta and Parmiggiano Reggiano, and stir your beautiful pasta.

6. It is time to serve your pasta. Add some more Parmiggiano Reggiano on inidvidual dishes and some leaves of fresh basil, and your beauty is ready!!