Pasta Pomodoro - The Kitchen Division

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil 80 ml
2 pounds fresh plum tomatoes, peeled. or 2 14oz cans of whole San Marzano tomatoes 2 x 400 g cans
4 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
2 small sprigs of basil
1 tsp salt ~ 5 g
1 lb spaghetti, fettucine or another long pasta 450 g
grated Parmigiano Reggiano, optional 30 - 50 g per serving

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Add the whole peeled garlic cloves and fry them gently for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and the olive oil is infused. Remove the garlic and set aside. Or, if you want an extra garlicky sauce, leave it in.
Crush the tomatoes with your hands until broken up and add them and their juices to the pan. Stir in the salt and basil sprigs.
Cover the pan and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 20 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a generous handful of salt. Add in the pasta and cook until 2-3 minutes before al dente. Reserve about a cup of the pasta water, then drain and set aside.
Remove the basil sprigs from the sauce. Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce until smooth but still has some chunks of tomato in it.
Add in the pasta and half of the pasta water and toss. Turn the heat up to medium and simmer the pasta and sauce together for another 2--3 minutes until the pasta is cooked all the way through. If the pasta looks to dry, add a little more pasta water to thin it out.
Taste the pasta and season with more salt if desired. Serve hot with grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and fresh chopped basil.