Cook Time: 45 Minutes
1 pound of rigatoni
1 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes (San Marzano tomatoes, if possible)
½ cup of extra virgin olive oil, more for serving
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon of calabrian chiles
½ cup of grated parmigiano reggiano
Fresh basil
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Begin by making the sauce. Add olive oil to a pan over low-medium heat. Once the oil heats up, add the garlic and calabrian chiles. Saute until softened, about 3-5 minutes.
Add the can of tomatoes to the pan. Let them cook down. You could help it along by breaking up the tomatoes as they cook.
Bring the mixture to a boil for about 3 minutes and then lower the heat to simmer. Stir occasionally. Add a couple of leaves of basil and cook for about 20-30 minutes until most of the liquid evaporates and sauce begins to thicken.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, once the water is boiled, add a generous amount of salt to the water. Don’t be afraid to liberally add salt - it should taste like the sea.
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until the pasta is al dente.
Add the pasta to the sauce. If the sauce gets too dry, add some pasta water to the sauce to loosen it up.
Add parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and toss to combine.
Divide pasta among bowls and top with more Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and extra virgin olive oil.
