Rigatoni with Homemade Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

For the recipe

• 400 g dried egg-free durum-wheat rigatoni, weighed before cooking
• 800 g plain canned crushed tomatoes, including all juice, preferably with no added sugar; two 400 g cans
• 27 g extra-virgin olive oil, about 2 tablespoons / 30 ml
• 12 g peeled garlic, about 4 medium cloves, finely sliced or minced
• 10 g fresh basil leaves, washed, dried and torn, divided between sauce and garnish
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (1 g)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (0.5 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt (3 g) for the sauce, divided and adjusted to the tomatoes
• 100 ml water, for rinsing the tomato cans and adding to the sauce
• 3 litres water plus 15 g salt, for cooking the pasta; reserve 250 ml of the cooking water before draining

Instructions

1. Prepare the ingredients before heating the pan. Peel and slice or mince the garlic, open the tomatoes, and divide the torn basil into two portions of about 5 g each. Choose a deep, wide frying pan or saute pan, about 28-30 cm across, large enough to hold the sauce and cooked pasta, plus a separate large pasta pot.
2. Place the olive oil in the wide pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook gently for 60-90 seconds, stirring, until fragrant and just softened. Do not let it turn dark brown. Stir in the dried oregano for the final 15 seconds.
3. Reduce the heat to low and carefully add the crushed tomatoes, as they may splatter. Swirl the 100 ml water between the empty cans to collect the remaining tomato, then add it to the pan. Stir in the black pepper and half the sauce salt, about 1.5 g.
4. Raise the heat just until the sauce begins to bubble, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 25-30 minutes, stirring every few minutes and scraping the bottom of the pan. The sauce should thicken enough to coat a spoon but remain loose enough to toss with pasta. Reduce the heat if it spits vigorously; add a small splash of water if it starts sticking before the simmering time is complete.
5. While the sauce simmers, bring the 3 litres of water to a rolling boil in the pasta pot. Add the 15 g cooking-water salt. Do not add oil to the water.
6. Once the sauce has simmered for about 15 minutes, add the rigatoni to the boiling water and stir well. Cook for 1-2 minutes less than the package al dente time, stirring occasionally. For pasta with a stated 12-minute al dente time, start checking at 10 minutes. It should still be slightly firmer than you want to serve because it will finish in the sauce. Coordinate the timing so the sauce has simmered for at least 25 minutes before adding the pasta.
7. Before draining, scoop out 250 ml of the starchy pasta cooking water and set it aside. Drain the rigatoni briefly without rinsing. If the sauce needs a few more minutes, finish reducing it before draining the pasta rather than leaving the drained pasta standing.
8. Add the drained rigatoni to the gently bubbling marinara with 60 ml of the reserved cooking water. Toss or fold gently over medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce coats the ridges and insides of the tubes.
9. Adjust the consistency before serving. If the sauce looks tight or dry, add more reserved water in 15-30 ml splashes, tossing after each addition; you may not need all of it. If the sauce looks watery, toss over the heat for another 30-60 seconds, checking that the pasta does not overcook. Aim for a glossy coating, not a pool of liquid.
10. Turn off the heat and fold in half the fresh basil. Taste a piece of pasta with sauce, then add the remaining sauce salt gradually only as needed, especially if the canned tomatoes already contain salt. Divide immediately among four bowls and scatter over the remaining basil. Optional cheese, extra oil or chilli flakes are serving variations and are not included in the nutrition estimate.