Spaghetti With Tomatoes, Basil and Pecorino Romano

Photo: Giselle Cagli

Ingredients

1 cup date tomatoes (about 30)

200 grams of spaghetti (for this recipe I used De Cecco spaghettoni No. 412)

2 tablespoons of pecorino romano

6 basil leaves (set aside 2 or 4 small to garnish)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove

1/2 small onion

2 hot peppers (my secret ingredient!!!)

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Mince onions, dice garlic, and cut date tomatoes lengthwise.

Meanwhile bring a pot with water to a boil. When boiling, add coarse salt, and cook pasta following package instructions. Besides the quality of Pasta De Cecco, the main reason I am using this brand is because time indications on the package are very precise. For example, according to the package, cooking time for this pasta format – spaghettoni- is 13 minutes, which in fact is exactly the real-time it took me to cook the pasta.

Heat a skillet with extra virgin olive oil (over medium high heat) and place diced garlic and hot peppers. Sautee for about 2-3 minutes to let flavors i nfuse into olive oil. Discard garlic and hot peppers.

On the same skillet, and keeping the same heat intensity, sautee onions for about two minutes.

Increase heat to high, add date tomatoes, and sautee for two minutes. Decrease heat to medium high and gently squeeze tomatoes to let the juices come out. Cook for another 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Drain pasta and transfer it to the skillet (over very low heat) with onions and tomatoes, add pecorino romano, and basil.

Since I want to get the most out of ingredients, I tear basil with my hands. An old Italian lady once told me to avoid cutting basil with a knife because it prevents essential oils from basil to let their aromas out (a.k.a Old Italian Wisdom!!!)

Blend all ingredients.

Plating the dish: To form a pasta nest, use a fork with long enough tines and hold it parallel over the skillet. Grab as much pasta as you can. Carefully transfer pasta to a soup ladle and twirl to form a nest. Gently place the nest on a plate. Finish by placing one o two basil leaf on top of the nest.