That Saucy Thing

Get the sauce right
Tomato and basil sauce,the most basic and simplest of cooked sauces,Dalmia says,is the spine of Italian cooking and can be used in a zillion ways. It should be cooked fast enough so that the tomatoes retain their summery sweetness and yet long enough to lose the watery content, she says. In a skillet,Dalmia pours out 30ml of olive oil,insisting along the way that every cook should use their quantities by instinct and not by a measuring cup. While the oil is yet to set in,she dashes in a handful of whole garlic cloves and takes them out as soon as they turn brown. You can add minced garlic but Italians prefer a subtle flavour so we refrain from cooking it with the pasta. Next to go in is a cupful of finely chopped onions. Never wait for the olive oil to heat,add onions quickly so that they cook from the inside and not just put on a brown skin.

Along with the onions,she throws in a few whole dry chilies. Surprised? If you have always silently wished to spike up your pasta with chilies,then do it boldly. South Italy is known for chilies which are commonly used in the dishes, she says. Then comes the main ingredient,ripe red tomatoes,chopped coarsely. Deseed the tomatoes unless you want the sauce to turn watery, she advises while animatedly adding the cupful of tomatoes to the skillet. Cook the tomatoes on a high flame for six to seven minutes. If you simmer it,you get a finer blend, she says. We watch the chef hurriedly tear out a handful of basil leaves and add to the coarse sauce. Dont think for a moment that you can pluck the leaves off your tulsi plant and get cooking. Indian basil has a bitter taste that could wreck your sauce, says Dalmia. Italian basil is available in several shops and supermarts in metros. Also,never chop basil,says Dalmia. It lessens the aroma of the leaf. 

Softening the pasta
While Dalmia says any shape of pasta works fine with a classic tomato base,we pick on a pack of spaghetti. Most packs put in the cooking time. If it says seven minutes,it is important that you boil the pasta only for six and save one minute for cooking it in the sauce, she says. Once the pasta is soft,drain the water but save a spoonful of pasta water. Add a spoonful of pasta water to the sauce. It brings in some starch to the sauce and binds it better, she says. Dalmia surprises us by adding spaghetti to the skillet even when we can still spot some tomato morsels in the pan. You dont need to make the sauce into a paste. This way you can feel the tomatoes and basil in your pasta, she says.

Plating the pasta
It is always good to give height to your food, says Dalmia as she heaps the centre of a white ceramic plate with bright ready straps of spaghetti. She tops it with a few basil leaves and the cooked red chilies. Drizzle a bit of olive oil for glaze and I always sprinkle a bit of crushed dry parsley on the plate. You can top it up with grilled veggies,slivers of bacon or some prawns too but avoid the temptation to load every dish with Parmesan or oregano, she says. The pasta should be served along with an assorted bread basket and you are set for a hearty meal,says the chef.
Verdict:
We rate the meal 8 out of 10. The pasta in that crude tomato sauce is surprisingly delicious,with an aroma of fresh tomato and garlic and a hint of basil.

Spaghetti in tomato and basil sauce
Serves two
6 large red ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic,use whole or minced
1 small chopped onion
Handful of fresh basil
2-3 whole dry red chilies
200gms packet spaghetti or any pasta of your preference
A sprinkle of white wine optional  Salt to taste