Serves 4
Spaghetti, enough for four servings, cooked according to package directions.
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
Basil, whole leaves, about six stems’ worth
¼ cup olive oil
2 Tb butter
Salt and pepper to taste
½ – 1 tsp red chili flakes
Grated cheese, such as Parmesan, Romano or Asiago
While the spaghetti cooks, in a saucepan or skillet, sauté the garlic in the olive oil over medium high heat for about three minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper, and red chili flakes. Sauté for another couple of minutes until the tomatoes just start to soften. Add the basil leaves and the butter and sauté gently for another couple of minutes until the basil wilts and the butter combines with the olive oil and the juices from the tomatoes to make a light sauce.
Toss with the spaghetti, adjust the salt and pepper to your taste, and top with a little grated cheese. Simple and deeply satisfying.
