Traditional Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

Directions
Preparation:10min  ›  Cook:15min  ›  Ready in:25min 

1. In a large saucepan, sautè the garlic in the olive oil over medium low heat until just golden. Discard the garlic, then add the chilli flakes, tomatoes, olives and capers to the hot oil. Let cook for 5 to 6 minutes over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in a large pan with plenty of boiling salted water. When very 'al dente', ie still quite firm, drain the spaghetti, reserving some of the cooking water.
3. Add drained spaghetti to the pan with the sauce. Stir and cook over medium heat for a minute or two, adding some pasta water in order to keep the mixture moist and not too dry. Serve straightaway.

Cooking Pasta

A few tips to perfectly cook pasta, as Italians would do: use a large amount of water, around 1L per 100g of pasta; add the pasta only when the water is boiling, stir, then bring back to the boil, stirring from time to time. Cook 1 minute less than the time suggested on the packet; drain and reserve some of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the sauce and finish cooking, adding some of the reserved water as needed. Serve straightaway! Also, never rinse pasta, you'll lose the starch needed to keep it moist.