Ingredients

serves 6

　　1 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt, plus 1 tablespoon for the pasta pot

　　1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

　　1/3 cup sliced garlic

　　4 cups (or a 35-ounce can) canned Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, crushed by hand

　　1 pound spaghetti

　　1/4 cup shredded fresh basil leaves (10 large leaves)

　　

Recommended Equipment

A heavy-bottomed skillet or sauté pan, 12-inch diameter or larger

　　A large pot, 8-quart capacity or larger, with a cover, for cooking the pasta

　　

Step 1

Before starting the sauce, heat the pasta-cooking water—at least 6 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt—to a boil.

　　

Step 2

Pour 1/3 cup of the olive oil into the big skillet, and set over medium-high heat. Scatter in the sliced garlic and cook 2 minutes, until lightly colored. Pour in the crushed tomatoes; rinse the tomato containers with a bit of water and pour that in. Sprinkle on the salt, stir well, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, maintaining a steady boil.

　　

Step 3

Drop the spaghetti into the cooking water when the tomatoes are perking along. Cook until quite al dente, lift the pasta from the pot, drain briefly, and drop it onto the sauce. Toss the spaghetti and tomatoes for a minute or two, until the pasta is perfectly cooked and dressed.

　　

Step 4

Turn off the heat, scatter the basil over the pasta, and drizzle on the remaining olive oil. Toss well, and serve immediately.

　　From Lidia's Italy by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich. Copyright (c) 2007 by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich. Published by Knopf.Lidia Bastianich hosts the hugely popular PBS show, "Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen" and owns restaurants in New York City, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh. Also the author of Lidia's Italian Table and Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen, she lives in Douglaston, New York.