Classic Tomato Spaghetti

By HeatherS

Ingredients

• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 fresh red chile
• a small bunch of fresh basil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound dried spaghetti
• olive oil
• I x 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 4 ounces Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Step 1

To prepare your pasta
Peel and finely slice the garlic • Finely slice your chile (halve and seed it first if you don't want the sauce too hot) • Pick the basil leaves off the stalks and put to one side • Finely chop the stalks

To cook your pasta:
Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil, add the spaghetti, and cook according to the package instructions • Meanwhile, put a large saucepan on a medium heat and add 2 good lugs of olive oil • Add the garlic, chile, and basil stalks and give them a stir • When the garlic begins to brown slightly, add most of the basil leaves and the canned tomatoes • Turn the heat up high and stir for a minute • Season with salt and pepper • Drain the spaghetti in a colander, then transfer it to the pan of sauce and stir well
Taste and add more salt and pepper if you think it needs it

To serve your pasta:
Divide the pasta between your bowls, or put it on the table in a large serving dish and let everyone help themselves • Roughly tear over the remaining basil leaves and grate over some Parmesan

These can be added to your tomato sauce when it's finished. Just stir in and warm through:
•Add a handful of baby spinach leaves to the sauce at the same time that you add the pasta — when the leaves have wilted remove from the heat and serve with some crumbled goat's cheese on top
•A few handfuls of cooked shrimp and a handful of chopped arugula, with the juice of 1/2 a lemon
•A can of tuna, drained and flaked into the sauce with 1/2 a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, some black olives and the juice of 1/2 a lemon
•A handful of fresh or frozen peas and fava beans