Spaghetti with tomato sauce and basil: a vibrant red evergreen

“Viva la pappa pappa, col popopopopopomodoro, viva la pappa pappa che è un capopopopopolavoro...”

Among all more or less complicated sauces or exotic tastes, there is no better revitalizer than spaghetti with tomato and basil (In Italian slang, we would say “m’arricrea”). Light, nice, and delicious, this first course can become king of your informal and relaxed dinners with friends.
 

Despite its simplicity, it requires two particular attentions:
1) the sauce must absolutely be homemade with genuine tomatoes
2) spaghetti must be of high quality, and above all cooked “al dente” (so do not distract when cooking the pasta, no manicure, vacuum or sudoku. I need you to concentrate!)

The preparation of the sauce is of course the biggest challenge (I trust your ability to deal with the pasta cooking process).

Ingredients:
2 kg red juicy tomatoes (plum tomatoes)
fresh basil
extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion
salt

Fill a large saucepan with abundant water and bring up to boil. In the meantime, wash the tomatoes carefully and slice a superficial X in the bottom end.

When the water boils, plunge the tomatoes and boil for 6 minutes. 

Drain, put the tomatoes under cold water, and peel away the skin starting from the X.

 

Cut out the stem, chop the tomatoes thickly and mash them with a masher until pureed. Then put the puree in a small pot (the so-called Italian “cuccuma”).

Peel the onion and cut it into very thin slices. Heat up a little bit of oil in a pot and fry the onion over low heat.

When ready, add the pureed tomatoes, and simmer over very low heat. When the sauce starts boiling, add the basil leaves. Cook AT LEAST 2 hours over very low heat till the sauce is reduced and all the water has evaporated, and add salt.

This recipe is very useful because you can cook the sauce whenever you like, freeze it (freezing is allowed in this case!), and it is ready if your friends suddenly appear to dinner!
Once you get used to the basic preparation of the sauce, let your imagination run wild! For example, add fried eggplants and salted ricotta for an amazing “Pasta alla norma”



Enjoy!

PS: If pasta is a religion for you, you might be an unaware follower of Pastafarianism