Spaghettini with Fresh Tomato, Olive Oil, and Basil

This is the quintessential pasta al pomodoro. It has the sweet flavor of fresh tomatoes highlighted by a hint of hot red pepper, not to make the sauce spicy but to give it a little liveliness. Although the amount of garlic may seem excessive, as it stews with the tomatoes it becomes quite mild, making the sauce rich rather than pungent. The key is allowing the garlic to sizzle for only a few seconds before adding the tomatoes.