Twenty-Minute Marinara Sauce with Fresh Basil

This tomato sauce really can be cooked in 20 minutes while you are waiting for your pasta water to come to a boil and the pasta to cook. The recipe sauces a pound of pasta. The main ingredients include a large can of whole tomatoes, red pepper flakes, 7 cloves of garlic (yes, 7), olive oil, and the most important - fresh basil. I was very lucky with my garden basil this year so was inspired to try this recipe.

First you pour the canned tomatoes in a large bowl and crush them with your hands. (If you insist on perfectly smooth sauce, this may not be for you) You saute the garlic and red pepper flakes, then add the tomatoes to the skillet. This is the secret as far as I am concerned. You add an entire branch or sprigs of basil to the sauce. Add a little hot pasta water, cover and simmer until the pasta is cooked. Then you remove the basil from the sauce before adding the pasta. Add shredded fresh basil just before serving. Lidia suggests adding cheese to the sauce but I prefer to serve it separately.