Make Spaghetti al Pomodoro e Basilico
Italian dishes are known for being simple yet delicious. Read on to find out how to make this classic pasta dish Spaghetti with Tomatoes and Basil the Italian way.
Contents
Ingredients
- High-quality extra-virgin olive oil
- Fresh cloves of garlic (1-2 per person)
- High-quality durum wheat spaghetti or linguini (about one pound for every 3-4 people)
- One can of organic, diced and peeled tomatoes (per person) or 2 1/2 pd fresh organic tomatoes peeled and seeded. (if you are using fresh tomatoes, boil them first and remove the seeds)
- Fresh, chopped basil (approximately one small handful per person).
- salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Freshly grated (not shredded) Pecorino-Romano cheese and/or Parmesan (half and half if you prefer)
Steps
- Prepare your ingredients. Use only the highest quality and freshest ingredients for best results.
- Cook your pasta. Start a pot of water boiling and follow the instructions from the Make Spaghetti page for spaghetti or linguine.
- Meanwhile pour some olive oil in a medium saucepan and add 3 cloves of garlic unpeeled.
- Cook over medium heat until the garlic peel is brown. Do not burn the garlic however as it will leave an acrid taste. The garlic should ideally just be golden brown. Turn the heat off and discard the garlic.
- Add tomatoes, salt and pepper to the oil.
- Add water. A good estimate is half a can of water for each can of tomatoes or for each three tomatoes.
- Stir periodically over low heat until the sauce thickens.
- Pour the sauce over the pasta in a mixing bowl. Add the fresh uncooked basil and add grated pecorino and Parmesan cheese (half and half).
- Separate into serving dishes and sprinkle additional cheese on top to garnish.
- Serve without delay. This dish is delicious with salad or garlic bread to compliment its fresh flavours.
Tips
- Practice this recipe with yourself so that you can learn how much salt, pepper, basil and cheese to add.
- About boiling the spaghetti, use big pots with at least 3 qt. of water per pound. Add a little oil (1 tsp) to prevent sticking and do not overcook (the Italian name for done is "al dente").
