Pasta Al Pomodoro

Pomodoro Sauce

1. Add tomatoes to a food processor, pulse into a thick purée and keep aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low flame. Add chopped onions and cook for 10-12 minutes or until soft and translucent. Stir frequently to avoid the onions from caramelizing.
3. Add minced garlic to the onion and fry for 3 minutes, or until garlic is fragrant and its raw smell is gone.
4. Add red chili flakes to the skillet and cook for 1 more minute while stirring continuously.
5. Turn the heat up to a medium; add puréed tomatoes to the skillet and season with salt. Let the sauce cook for 20-25 minutes or until it slightly thickens and the tomatoes are cooked.
6. Remove from heat and stir in the basils sprigs.

Pasta/Spaghetti

1. While the sauce is cooking, fill a large pot with water, season with salt and bring it up to boil on medium-high heat.
2. Add the spaghetti or pasta and cook until almost al dente i.e. 2 minutes before completely al dente.
3. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the starchy water.

Pasta Al Pomodoro

1. Remove the basil from the Pomodoro sauce and set the skillet on a medium flame.
2. Add the starchy water from the pasta into the sauce and bring to a boil.
3. Add the pasta to the sauce and cook for 2 minutes, stirring until pasta is al dente and coated with sauce. Remove from heat.
4. Add butter and parmesan until everything is mixed and serve hot.

Trivia

• Tomato sauce and spaghetti, which are now considered the basics of Italian cuisine, did not originate in Italy. The sauce became a part of Italian cuisine after Spain introduced tomatoes to Europe, and spaghetti was brought over by the Chinese.