Although we might struggle to choose from such a wide range of delicious pasta recipes, Italians are in no doubt: they can’t resist spaghetti with tomato sauce. At the heart of this star of Italian cuisine is something appreciated by cooks all over the world: its simplicity. With just five ingredients, this recipe can conjure up all the poetry and magic of an Italian home.
First and foremost, you need good-quality extra-virgin olive oil (the key to any successful recipe), good tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil and lots of love. Sauté the chopped onion and garlic in extra-virgin olive oil for a couple of minutes, then add salt and tomatoes (you can use sieved tomatoes, but never passata).
If it’s too acidic, you can always add a pinch of sugar. Cook the sauce for about half an hour. When there’s about ten minutes to go, cook the pasta in boiling water. When the pasta is ready, strain well, sauté in the tomato sauce for a minute, add the fresh basil and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
