Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce, Pizzutello

Method

1. Fill a large pot with water and add salt as if to cook pasta.
2. Cut the Pizzutello tomatoes in half almost completely.
3. Place the tomatoes in the pot; once they float to the surface, cook for exactly 5 minutes.
4. Drain the tomatoes and let them cool slightly. Pass them through a food mill to remove skins and seeds. Reserve the sauce; discard (or reserve the water for other uses, but do not use it for pasta).
5. In a separate pot, add a peeled garlic clove and a generous amount of extra-virgin olive oil. Cook over very low heat until the garlic is lightly golden.
6. Add the tomato sauce and about half a glass of water. Cover partially and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 30–45 minutes.
7. About 10 minutes before the sauce is done, season with salt to taste. Remove the garlic clove when the sauce is ready.
8. When the sauce is nearly finished, cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water until al dente.
9. Just before draining the pasta, add fresh basil leaves to the sauce and cover to infuse.
10. Drain the pasta and transfer it to a pan with a little of the sauce. Toss over high heat to emulsify.
11. Serve the spaghetti in plates, top with more sauce, fresh basil, a drizzle of raw olive oil, and optionally chili flakes and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.