Pasta penne pomodoro

Boil water in a pot, salt it and add the pasta. Cook them according to the package instructions until al dente. Make sure the pasta is slightly hard - it will continue to cook in the sauce.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan and add the chopped garlic and chilli flakes. I add these for a light spicy adventure, but if you're not a fan of spicy flavours, you can leave them out.

Once the garlic turns golden, add the chopped tomatoes and fry them until soft. Season everything with salt and pepper. Let the mixture simmer over a low heat for about 15 minutes.

Drain the finished pasta (but leave a little water on the side for possible thinning of the sauce later) and add it to the pan with the tomatoes. Sometimes I add a tablespoon of pasta water to help the sauce coat the pasta better.

Finally, add the fresh basil and mix lightly.

I serve Penne Pomodoro pasta straight from the pan, sprinkled with freshly grated parmesan cheese and garnished with more basil leaves.