Bite with Belkys: Spaghetti Basil and Tomato

The Chef: Michael Pirolo
The Restaurant: Scarpetta at the Fontainebleau Resort on Miami Beach
The Dish: Spaghetti basil and tomato

Ingredients for sauce:

40 ripe plum tomatoes
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus a little more to drizzle on the dish at the end
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
A dozen fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
2 pounds of spaghetti, homemade or dry

Method of preparation:

-First, score ripe plum tomatoes with a sharp knife, then put them in a pot of boiling water and blanch them for about 15 seconds. This will make it much easier to peel.

-Take the tomatoes out of the pot and put them in a bowl of ice water to cool. Peel them and slice in half. Holding each tomato over a strainer, take out the seeds but save the juice.

-Heat 2/3 cup olive oil in a pan on medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes then the tomato juice. Cook for a few minutes to soften the tomatoes. Then, take a potato masher and mash them until they're finely chopped. Let the sauce reduce to concentrate the flavor- about 45 minutes.

-Now, put the spaghetti into a pot of boiling salted water. Cook until it's just short of al dente. Reserve a little of the pasta cooking water.

- Add the spaghetti to the sauce and gently toss, coating the pasta completely. Cook just a little longer until the spaghetti is tender. Add a little of the salted water if the sauce seems too thick.

- Take the pan off the heat and add a pinch of red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Toss together.

- Now add the finely sliced basil, parmesan cheese and the butter. Toss together again until the pasta is coated completely. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top and it's ready.

-To plate, serve as is.

-Serves 2-4 people

Serve with Rosso di Montalcino wine.