Spagetti in Marinara Sauce

After enjoying and eating out for a week with friends who have been in town I am really looking forward to some simple home food.

So last night we did a simple marinara sauce. Doesn’t take much time and it is so much better than that ready made stuff in the bottle! 

Serves 4

1. 1.In another large pot, heat 2 tbsp good Italian olive oil and fry 1 minced shallot and 2 smashed large garlic cloves for 2 minutes.
2. 2.Immediately add 1 bay leaf, 6–7 chopped basil leaves and 1 tsp crushed black pepper. Fry for another minute.
3. 3.Add 14oz of Pomi strained tomatoes and season with salt generously. Bring it to a boil, cover and let it simmer for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
4. 4.Bring a large pot of generously salted water to boil.
5. 5.Boil 1/2 lb. spaghetti for a few minutes less than instructed by the package. Drain the pasta, reserve the water the pasta was boiled in and do not rinse the pasta under cold water. 
6. 6.In a separate frying pan, heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil, fry 1 minced garlic and add in a ladle of pasta sauce and a ladle of pasta water. Toss in pasta, cooked for 30 seconds and serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese and garnished with basil. This step is done for each individual serving. So if you are serving a family and don’t want to do this 4–6 times, go ahead and do it for everyone by tossing in some fried garlic and mix it all together. The pasta then absorbs the flavors much better than if the sauce is simply ladled on top.

Enjoy!