Spaghetti Pomodoro

This is an amazingly simple recipe that creates an even more amazing tasting dish. This must be how the Italians intended tomato sauce to be prepared -- silky and glossy, not chunky and gravy-like. At its most basic, it requires nothing more than a can of tomatoes, EVOO (sorry), garlic, and red pepper flakes, and the secret to its deliciousness is taking some of the starchy pasta water and adding it back to the sauce. Oh and I got this from GQ.

Ingredients

• 3/4 box of spaghetti
• 1 16-ounce can of San Marzano peeled tomatoes (or half of a 28-oz can)
  
• Garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
  
• Extra-virgin olive oil
  
• Red pepper flakes
  
• Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
  
• Salt and pepper
  
• Sugar (optional)
  
• Parmigiano-reggiano, freshly grated

Instructions

1. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, pour enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and sauté , until it begins to brown. Turn off heat, add red-pepper flakes and swirl for about 10 to 20 seconds. Throw in a couple pinches of parsley, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Turn the heat back to medium/medium-low, add the tomatoes to the pan, crushing them by hand as you do (squish them up real good). Season with salt and pepper, and a couple pinches of sugar (this helps eliminate acidity). Simmer the sauce, but do not bring it to a rapid boil, for about 10 minutes until any excess water has cooked away.
3. Meanwhile, boil the spaghetti in generously salted water until al dente. Scoop out a cup of pasta water, and then drain.
4. Add about ¼ cup of the pasta water to the pan of simmering sauce. Let cook for a minute and then pour in the spaghetti, tossing it until it's well coated and has started to absorb the sauce.
5. Pour the pasta into a large bowl, and with tongs or large spoons, gradually incorporate the grated cheese until the pasta takes on a creamy consistency. Add more parsley. Serve immediately.

Serves 2. Eat it all up.