Classic Tomato Spaghetti

You can swap the Parmesan for your preferred hard cheese. Once you've nailed this recipe, you can add other simple ingredients to your basic tomato sauce to completely transform it. Check out my top tips, where I've given you some ideas to get you started. Jamie's top tips - You can take this tomato sauce in so many delicious directions. Try stirring these combos into your tomato sauce to warm through - 1. A handful of cooked prawns and a handful of chopped rocket, with a squeeze of lemon. 2. Tinned tuna, drained and flaked into the sauce with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, some black olives and a squeeze of lemon. 3. A handful of fresh or frozen peas and broad beans. 4. Add a handful of baby spinach when you add the spaghetti – when the leaves have wilted, take off the heat and crumble over some goat’s cheese.

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Ingredients

garlic cloves 1 (sliced)
red chillies ½ (sliced)
fresh basil 1 sprig
olive oil to taste
wholewheat spaghetti 135 g
chopped tomatoes 200 g
sea salt to taste
black pepper to taste
Parmesan 30 g (grated)

Method

Cook your tomato sauce & spaghetti:

Peel and finely slice the garlic. Finely slice your red chilli (halve and deseed it first if you don't want the sauce to be too hot).
Pick the basil leaves off the stalks and put to one side. Finely chop the stalk.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the wholewheat spaghetti and cook according to the packet instructions.
Meanwhile, put a large saucepan on a medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic, red chilli and basil stalk and give them a stir.
When the garlic begins to brown slightly, add most of the basil leaves and the tinned chopped tomatoes. Turn the heat up high and stir for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
Drain the spaghetti in a colander, then transfer it to the pan of sauce and stir well. Taste and add more salt and pepper if you think it needs it.

To make a spicy arrabbiata sauce:

Follow the basic tomato sauce recipe, piercing the red chilli, instead of finely slicing it.
When the sauce has simmered for 15 to 20 minutes, remove the red chilli and finely chop it. Add as much or as little back into the sauce and continue cooking the sauce.

To serve your spaghetti:

Add the spaghetti to your bowl. Roughly tear over the remaining basil leaves and grate over some Parmesan, if you like.

Classic Tomato Spaghetti

Add to your supermarket basket....

Ingredients

Method

Cook your tomato sauce & spaghetti:

To make a spicy arrabbiata sauce:

To serve your spaghetti:

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