SPAGHETTI WITH OLIVE OIL, TOMATO AND ONION

SPAGHETTI WITH OLIVE OIL, TOMATO AND ONION image

Yield Serves 6, as a main course, more as a side dish

Number Of Ingredients 9

1/3 cup Bertolli extra virgin olive oil
1 medium to large yellow onion, about 1 ½ cups diced
2-4 cloves garlic, minced (depending on size and taste preference)
¼ to ½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2 cups or more cherry or grape tomatoes, rinsed
¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and black pepper to taste
1 lb spaghetti
½ cup starchy pasta water, taken out of pot just before draining cooked pasta

Steps:

Put a large pot of water (with ½ tablespoon of salt added), on the stove to boil for the spaghetti. Heat olive oil on medium high heat in a large heavy skillet (one big enough to fit sauce and 1 pound of cooked spaghetti). Saute diced onion until translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and dried red pepper flakes and stir for a minute. Add 2 cups of tomatoes and stir for a minute. Cover skillet with a lid and simmer over moderate heat for about 5 minutes, remove lid and see if the tomatoes are soft enough to mash. If not cover again for a few minutes. When tomatoes are soft mash them. (I use a potato masher and try not to splatter.) Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or more. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. When spaghetti is cooked al dente (according to the brand's directions), take out ½ cup pasta water and then drain spaghetti but leave it wet and quickly add it back to the skillet (now on low heat). Add ½ cup Parmesan cheese and 1/3 to ½ cup pasta water, toss it all up. Add more salt and pepper if desired to taste. Serve with extra parmesan on the table.