The Comfort of a Simple Tomato Pasta

A handful of ripe tomatoes, good olive oil and fresh basil can make an ordinary evening feel like a celebration.

The ingredients do the talking

Some of the most satisfying dishes begin with ingredients that are easy to recognise. Juicy tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, basil and a little hard cheese are enough to make a sauce with freshness and depth. Choose the ripest tomatoes you can find, or use good canned tomatoes when fresh ones are out of season.

Building a gentle sauce

Warm olive oil in a wide pan and soften a sliced clove of garlic over low heat. Add halved cherry tomatoes with a pinch of salt, then let them cook until their skins wrinkle and their juices mingle with the oil. A splash of pasta water helps everything come together. For a silkier sauce, crush a few tomatoes with the back of a spoon.

The final minute matters

Cook your pasta until just shy of tender. Transfer it into the pan with the sauce, add a little cooking water and toss over medium heat until the strands are lightly coated. Tear basil leaves by hand and add them at the very end. Finish with grated cheese and a small drizzle of olive oil rather than a heavy blanket of extra ingredients.

Make dinner feel easy

Serve straight from the pan with a crisp green salad and bread for the last of the sauce. The appeal of this meal is its flexibility: it works for a quiet supper, a casual gathering or a night when you would rather spend time at the table than in the kitchen.