Spaghetti al Pomodoro (Authentic Italian in 30 Minutes)

Ingrédients

• 11 oz / 300g ripe tomatoes - I've used a mix of roma and grape tomatoes. Canned is great too (see notes below)
• 6.5 oz / 180g spaghetti pasta
• 1 large garlic clove
• Handful fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese - optional
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Préparation

1. 1

   Slice the grape tomatoes into halves and Roma tomatoes into quarters

2. 2

   Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the garlic clove - I prefer to leave it whole so it doesn't burn

3. 3

   Once the garlic has turned light brown, add in the chopped tomatoes and season with a good pinch of salt and light pinch of pepper

4. 4

   Saute for a few minutes then add a ladle of water, tear in the basil leaves, turn the heat to low and simmer with the lid on

5. 5

   After 15 minutes, remove the lid and turn off the heat. Give it a stir and squish out the tomato juices with the back of a wooden spoon - they should be super soft and juicy. At the same time, boil the pasta in a large pot with salted water

6. 6

   Use an immersion blender to blend the tomatoes until smooth, you can also transfer to a blender if preferred

7. 7

   Once the pasta is cooked to al dente, add it straight to the skillet with a good splash of pasta water to finish cooking in the sauce. If using, add the parmesan cheese and gently stir through so the pasta is all coated in the tomato sauce and so the cheese melts - add more pasta water as needed to create a glossy sauce

8. 8

   Once ready to serve, drizzle the pasta with olive oil and serve up your delicious authentic Spaghetti al Pomodoro and garnish with fresh basil leaves and enjoy!