Weeknight Tomato Pasta

This is the kind of pasta that earns a permanent spot in a weekly rotation — the dish to reach for when the fridge is bare, energy is low, or guests turn up hungry with no warning.

The trick, and there is one, is finishing the pasta in the sauce with a splash of pasta water. That's what produces a glossy, clinging texture instead of pasta sitting in a puddle.

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta one minute short of the package directions.
2. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium-low. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook gently for 2 minutes — you want fragrant, not browned.
3. Crush in the whole tomatoes with your hands, add a good pinch of salt, and simmer for 8–10 minutes until thickened.
4. Reserve a cup of pasta water, then transfer the drained pasta straight into the sauce with a splash of the cooking water. Toss vigorously for a minute until the sauce coats every strand.
5. Tear in the basil, finish with black pepper, and serve with plenty of Parmesan.

Cooking tips

• Whole tinned tomatoes give a fresher flavour than pre-chopped — crush them yourself.
• Pasta water is liquid gold. The starch is what turns oil and tomato into a proper sauce.
• A drizzle of good olive oil at the very end lifts the whole bowl.

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