The ingredient list is four items. That is not a limitation; it is the premise. Spaghetti al Pomodoro is one of those recipes that requires more from the pasta than from the cook, because there is nothing else standing between you and it.
We built the Spaghetti al Pomodoro kit around this dish because it is the clearest demonstration of what the spaghetti does. Bronze-die extrusion (trafila al bronzo) leaves a roughened surface on each strand. Cherry tomatoes from Puglia, sweeter and lower in acidity than standard plum tomatoes, coat that surface the way a smooth noodle never allows.
The one instruction that changes everything is the pasta water. Starchy, hot, salty: it emulsifies the olive oil into the sauce rather than letting them slide past each other. Reserve it before you drain. A cold cup from the tap is not the same thing.
Set servings and units first. You can change them anytime.
Fill a large pot with 1 gallon of water and bring it to a full rolling boil. Season well: about 1 tablespoon of coarse sea salt.
Add the spaghetti. Stir once or twice in the first 30 seconds to keep the strands separated. Cook for 9 minutes, pulling it 1 minute early to finish in the sauce.
While the pasta cooks, pour the cherry tomato sauce into a wide pan. Add the spice sachet and a drizzle of olive oil. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring gently.
Before draining, ladle out 1 cup of pasta cooking water and set it within reach.
Drain the spaghetti and transfer it straight into the pan. Toss over medium heat, adding pasta water by the tablespoon until the sauce is glossy and coats every strand. About 1 minute is enough.
Serve right away. A thread of olive oil and a few torn basil leaves are all it needs.
You made Spaghetti al Pomodoro. Time to eat.
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The pasta water is doing real work. Starchy, salty, warm: it is the emulsifier that pulls the olive oil into the tomato sauce instead of letting the two slide past each other. Reserve a generous cup before you drain. A cold glass from the tap is not the same thing.
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