10-Minute Pasta Italiana

This pasta is so fresh and flavorful. It comes together super fast and there are very few ingredients, so timing and technique are very important. As with all Italian pasta, the goal is a nice al dente texture with a nicely developed sauce.

RECIPE

Serves 2:

• 3/4 package spaghetti

• Olive oil (1/4 c. more or less)

• 4 cloves garlic, kept whole or sliced

• 1 T red pepper flakes (more or less depending on preferred spice level)

• 1 package cherry tomatoes (or 1 can diced tomatoes)

• Salt, to taste

• Dried basil or other Italian herbs (optional)

First, place a large pot of water on the stove on high heat. Use a large enough pot so the pasta can have enough room to cook and not stick.

While the pot is heating up, place a large saucepan on the stove on medium heat.

Add around 1/4 c. olive oil, enough to fully cover the bottom of the pan.

Toss the garlic into the pan, along with the red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a couple minutes.

Add the whole cherry tomatoes (or diced tomatoes), and season with a pinch of salt and herbs, if using.

Cook for a few more minutes. If using cherry tomatoes, after cooking a couple minutes, squish tomatoes down so they burst, releasing their juice into the sauce.

Once the water is boiling in the pot, add a healthy pinch of salt and the spaghetti to the water. Cook for 3-5 minutes while stirring occasionally.

Turn the heat on the saucepan down to low. Carefully add a cup of the pasta cooking water into the saucepan. It will splatter if the pan is very hot.

Keep a close watch on the pasta. When it is flexible but still crunchy on the inside is when you need to transfer it to the saucepan. You want it to finish cooking to al dente in the pan.

When the pasta is ready, transfer it from the pot to the saucepan using tongs if you have them. If not, you can drain the pasta and then add it, but make sure to save the pasta water in case you need more.

Toss the pasta into the sauce. Add more pasta water if it looks like it needs more liquid to coat all the spaghetti. Taste the sauce to see if it needs more salt.

After a minute or two, try the pasta to see if it is al dente. When it is, it’s ready to eat!

Buon appetito!