Recipe for Paccheri Pasta with Tomato Sauce

Large pasta tubes are served with a sauce of tomatoes, garlic, and fresh basil leaves.

Ingredients

Pasta

• 500 grams paccheri pasta
• 4 Liters water
• 20 grams salt

Sauce

• 800 grams canned tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves
• 60 milliliters olive oil
• 10 grams fresh basil
• 5 grams salt

Preparation

Sauce

1. Sauté crushed garlic in oil for two minutes until it becomes very fragrant
2. Add crushed tomatoes and salt then simmer the sauce for twenty-five minutes total
3. Stir in the fresh basil leaves during the last five minutes of the cooking

Pasta

1. Boil 4 Liters of water and add salt before adding the large pasta tubes
2. Cook the paccheri until it is al dente and still has a firm center
3. Drain the pasta and save one cup of the starchy cooking water for sauce

Finish

1. Toss the pasta with the tomato sauce and a splash of the saved water
2. Stir over medium heat for one minute until the sauce coats the tubes
3. Serve hot with a drizzle of extra oil and a few fresh basil leaves

Tips

• Hand-crushing the tomatoes provides a better rustic texture than using a mechanical blender
• Ensure the pasta water is as salty as the sea to flavor the dough properly
• Do not overcook the paccheri as the large tubes will collapse and lose their shape