A dish of simplicity....

This pasta recipe is best for spaghetti, the normal dry pasta.

It is cooked in a pan with raised sides – like a large frying pan.

The spaghetti is cooked in the sauce with the addition of very little hot water.

After placing the spaghetti in the pan with the sauce, a little water is added.

The spaghetti is slowly separated and more water is added, a little at the time, just like making risotto.

Like with risotto, the trick is to get the pasta coked and the sauce in perfect balance, not too dry or too wet.

Ingredients for basic simple fresh tomato spaghetti for 2:

 5 roma tomatoes, peeled and seeded and chopped

100 g spaghetti n 7

1 garlic clove, crushed with the back of the knife

4 tablespoons olive oil

Basil leaves

Water

Grana cheese, salt and pepper to taste.

 Equipment:

 1 wooden spoon

1 largish frying pan or similar

1 small pot of hot water, or hot water available from the kettle

 Method:

Heat the oil, add the crushed garlic and cook to golden. Add tomatoes and let sizzle: the sizzling caramelizes the sugar in the tomato making it sweet. Season with salt and pepper. Place the spaghetti in a bundle and let it absorb some of the water oozing from the tomatoes. After a minute, add a little hot water, like a very small ladle full. Repeat as the water is absorbed and eventually the spaghetti lose their rigidity. Add more water and start to push them around gently. Continue until the spaghetti is cooked  al dente taking care to season as may be needed, the water has obviously evaporated and the whole thing is unctuous and moist. Add cheese and fresh basil, stir and serve at once.

Because this is an absorption method, the pasta yields quite a lot. It is great for camping.

Variations include adding anchovies instead of salt, olives and capers pretty close to the end of the cooking. Seafood can also be added and homemade pasta is NOT suitable.