Ingredients :

• Roma tomatoes — They are the choice here, and it’s not arbitrary. Romas have less juice and more flesh than regular round tomatoes — they melt into a sauce without making the whole thing too watery. Avoid tasteless out-of-season supermarket vine tomatoes. In summer, any market tomato will be even better.
• Capellini (angel hair) — Thinner than spaghetti, they cook in exactly 2 minutes — not 3, not 4. Two minutes. After that, they’re overcooked and stick together in a clump. If you can’t find any, thin spaghettini can substitute, but adjust the cooking time. Barilla or De Cecco do the job perfectly.
• Garlic — Five cloves for 500g of pasta is the flavor base here. Slice it thinly with a knife — not a garlic press, which releases too much juice and burns quickly. It should become translucent and smell like lightly toasted hazelnut, not brown and bitter.
• Fresh basil — Only add it off the heat, at the very end. Heat kills its aromatic oils in seconds and you lose the whole point. Tear it roughly by hand rather than using a knife — it preserves the aromas better.