Pasta pomodoro

Method

1. Bring a large pan of heavily salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta for 1 minute less than the pack instructions, or until al dente to your liking. Drain, reserving a mugful of the pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes through a colander set over a bowl. Use a spoon to squash the tomatoes a little to release any liquid from the insides. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Stir in the drained tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes, until sticky and browned a little. This will intensify the tomato taste so don’t skip it.
3. Add the reserved tomato liquid and the basil stalks. Bring to a simmer and cook for 6-8 minutes until reduced to a thick sauce. Pick out the basil stalks. If you prefer a smooth sauce you can remove the pan from the heat here and use a stick blender to whizz it until smooth.
4. Add the drained pasta and a good glug of pasta water to the pan of sauce. Stir vigorously to combine, then beat in the butter to make it silky and season to taste with salt. Stir in the basil leaves and serve topped with grated parmesan (if using).