The recipe
2 servings30 minutes
Ingredients
- 200 g pasta
- 400 g tinned peeled or chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small garlic clove, lightly crushed
- Salt to taste
- A few basil leaves
- optional: grated hard cheese
Method
- Warm the olive oil in a wide pan. Add garlic over moderate heat for about a minute without letting it darken.
- Add the tomatoes and crush them if needed. Salt lightly and simmer gently, uncovered, for 15–20 minutes.
- Cook the pasta in salted water, reserving a little cooking water before draining.
- Remove garlic if desired. Add the pasta to the sauce, toss with a splash of cooking water and finish cooking.
- Add basil, adjust the seasoning and serve with cheese if desired.
Give the tomatoes time
A wide pan helps the sauce reduce. More watery tomatoes take longer. Keep it at a gentle simmer and stir occasionally. The finished sauce should coat the pasta.
Finish pasta and sauce together
Take the pasta out of its water slightly early if it will continue cooking in the sauce. A little cooking water helps distribute the sauce. Add basil at the end. Cheese is optional; without it, this basic recipe is plant-based.