Super Speedy Spaghetti

Super Speedy Spaghetti

This one is a proper weeknight lifesaver. We've made it more times than we can count and it never gets old. A rich, garlicky tomato sauce with a little chilli kick, tossed through perfectly cooked spaghetti; it's the kind of thing that tastes like you've been cooking for hours but comes together in just 20 minutes. Honestly, once you've got this in your back pocket, you'll never be stuck for dinner again.

Cook: 20 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Microplane or fine grater
  • Tongs

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes
  • 2 tbsp red wine - or red wine vinegar
  • 400g cherry tomatoes
  • 75ml olive oil - plus extra for drizzling
  • 1 small red onions - roughly chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 litre boiling water
  • 400g spaghetti or linguine
  • 1 handful of black olives - we like Kalamata
  • pepper to taste
  • 20g fresh basil

Method

1

First make the tomato sauce

  • Peel and thinly slice the red onion
  • Peel and grate the garlic
  • Pour the olive oil into the saucepan
  • Add the sliced onion and salt and fry for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent
  • Add the garlic to the pan, stir it in and cook for a further 2 minutes
  • Add the tomatoes and stir them around for 2 minutes, until the skins start to split
  • Sprinkle over the chilli flakes and pour in the wine, stirring to coat the tomatoes
2

Cook the spaghetti

  • Pour the boiling water into the pan
  • Add the spaghetti, let it soften and then move it around with tongs in the pan until it's well submerged
  • Put the lid on the pan, turn up the heat and bring to the boil
  • Take off the lid and cook at a rolling boil for 10-12 minutes, moving the pasta in the water fairly often to ensure it cooks evenly (it's easiest to do this with tongs)
3

Finish the pasta

  • When most of the starchy water has been absorbed by the pasta, taste to make sure it's cooked to your liking
  • Quickly slice the olives and stir them through the pasta
4

Time to serve

  • Divide among bowls, drizzle with olive oil and grind over some black pepper
  • Garnish with the basil leaves and serve

Tips & Variations

  • Salt your pasta water generously: We mean it; it should taste like the sea. This is your one chance to season the pasta itself, and it makes a huge difference to the finished dish.
  • Reserve some pasta water: Before you drain the spaghetti, scoop out a mugful of the starchy cooking water. Stir a splash into the sauce to help it cling to every strand. Trust us on this one.
  • Turn up the heat at the end: When you add the tomatoes, crank the heat up a bit so the skins start to split and the sauce gets jammy and concentrated. That's where the magic happens.

Why This Works

The trick here is building the sauce in layers. Soften the onion first until it's really sweet and translucent, then add the garlic, then the tomatoes. It sounds simple, but that order makes a big difference to the depth of flavour. Don't rush the onions; that's where all the sweetness comes from.