[MadRocketSci]

My usual pasta is the simple traditional spaghetti I learned from this artist Manuel in one of the Cinque Terre who was renting rooms.

Needs heavy frying pan with high sloping sides.

Fry a couple of cloves of garlic on medium heat in 3-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. While garlic is sizzling chop up a can of imported or california whole San Marzano tomatoes. Dump into fryer when garlic is blonde. Make sure tomato juice from can makes it in there. Add a ton of fresh basil. Simmer for like 25 minutes until most of the juice has evaporated. Add salt and fresh ground pepper. Bring water to boil 10 minutes before sauce is done. Add salt to water. Dump in a whole box of Barilla spaghetti. Forgot the width number, but it's just spaghetti, not spaghettini or something. BTW, Barilla is good enough for most families in Italy so it's good enough for me. Boil uncovered, rolling, for EXACTLY nine minutes if you're near sea level. Do not overcook. Strain spaghetti, and add to fryer with reduced sauce...mix well and cook remaining liquids out. Serve.

Very basic ingredients...fresh basil, ev olive oil, san marzano tomatoes, garlic, spaghetti and salt and pepper. It's ALL in the timing...too bland if the sauce isn't reduced enough (too watery) and too bland if you reduce it too much as you'll have not enough sauce...as far as i can tell this is the basic spaghetti that every italian knows how to make...

the other one i like is pasta a la carbonara, aka italian heart attack on a plate which involves frying pancetta (italian bacon), fresh parmesan, egg yolks, and making sure you keep the pancetta fat and tossing with al dente spaghetti. my friend francesca from bologna taught me that one but i don't make it too much...