From the blog For Love of the Table
For each serving you will need:
1 T. olive oil
a clove of garlic
a pinch (small or large) of hot pepper flakes
one medium-sized tomato (maybe 5 oz. or so)
3 to 4 oz. of spaghetti
2 or 3 large basil leaves, cut into a fine chiffonade
freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino
Put the water on to boil and while it comes to a boil, mince the garlic and core and chop the tomato(es) into a rough half inch dice...no need to peel and seed. Your cutting board will probably not be able to contain all of the juice from the tomatoes, so as soon as you are done cutting each tomato, scrape it (along with the juices) off of the board and into a bowl.
To cook the sauce, choose a wide sauté pan. It must be wide and preferably with sloped sides so that the tomatoes will reduce quickly to a pulpy sauce. For one person, a pan with a six to seven inch cooking surface should be sufficient. For two, you will need an eight to ten inch pan. For three or four, use a twelve inch pan.
When the water comes to a boil. Season it well with salt (about a teaspoon per quart). Place the oil, along with the garlic and pepper flakes in the sauté pan and place the pan over moderately high to high heat. Drop the spaghetti into the boiling water and give it a stir. When the garlic begins to sizzle enthusiastically and is just on the verge of taking on a bit of color, add the tomatoes (along with all of the juices) to the pan. The tomatoes should immediately begin to simmer rapidly. Allow the tomatoes to cook, shaking the pan back and forth occasionally, stirring at regular intervals and regulating the heat in order to maintain a brisk simmer, until the tomatoes have broken down and the sauce is thickened and emulsified—this will take less than five minutes. Taste for seasoning and remove from the heat.
When the spaghetti is al dente, drain, reserving some of the pasta water. Add the pasta to the pan of sauce and toss to combine. Adjust the consistency of the sauce with pasta water if you like, but to be honest, for this dish, I prefer to add a generous drizzle of olive oil instead. This adds flavor, smoothes out the sauce and adds a gorgeous sheen. You can do one...or the other...or both, if you like.
If you like, add the basil along with the spaghetti. Transfer the finished pasta to individual plates and pass freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino.
http://www.forloveofthetable.com/2012/09/spaghetti-with-quick-summer-tomato-sauce.html
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