Pour olive oil into a cold pan. Turn to medium heat and wait until warm but not smoking.
PASTA
Pasta al Pomodoro Has Four Ingredients. You’ve Been Adding Too Many
Ask any Italian what they eat when they are tired, when the fridge is empty, when nothing else sounds right — and they will describe this dish. Not because it is easy. Because it is exactly enough. Americans have spent decades trying to improve it. Italians have spent decades wondering why.
METHOD
6 steps, and one will define the dish.
Add whole peeled tomatoes and crush hem with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and cook uncovered on medium-low for 18-20 minutes.
Drop spaghetti into heavily salted boiling water. Cook one minute less than the package says.
Before draining, reserve one full cup of pasta water. This is not optional.
Add drained pasta to the sauce. Cook together for one minute, adding pasta water until every strand is coated.
Remove from heat. Tear fresh basil on top, a drizzle of raw olive oil, and nothing else. Plate immediately.
WHY IT WORKS — THE SCIENCE
Why it works.
The most underestimated pasta in Italy is not
a base recipe waiting to be improved.
It is already finished. Put the garlic down.
