This is a great recipe for a classic Italian comfort food your family will love. The best part is how simple it is, just some spaghetti and tomato sauce! It is one of the best dishes for a large group as it is inexpensive and filling as well.
Put the olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat and then add the garlic clove that has been peeled an chopped in half with the little green part in the middle removed.
After cooking for two minutes, add the tomato puree or whole peeled tomatoes from the can. Add a dash of salt.
Cover and cook for 30 minutes when cooking tomato puree or about an hour with whole tomatoes, both over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove the garlic clove and throw away.
If you used whole tomatoes, either put them through a vegetable mill or use a immersion blender to make the sauce smooth.
Put a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta when the sauce is almost ready.
Add salt to the water and cook the pasta by following the package directions for al dente.
Drain the pasta keeping a small cup of pasta water aside.
Add the drained pasta directly to the sauce or vice versa, and stir until it is completely combined. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a little pasta water when stirring.
Put in a large serving bowl and garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve. If you have extra sauce, you can add more sauce in the middle with a few extra basil leaves. Each person can add grated Parmesan cheese or Parmigiano Reggiano as desired directly onto their own pasta.