The Foodie Diaries: How to Make the Best Authentic Italian Spaghetti Ever

As a young girl at the ripe age of 7, my parents told me that we were moving to Milan, Italy. You can imagine my shock and surprise, the foremost thought in my mind being: “What are we going to do with my dog?!” It was a dramatic evening and tear-filled couple of days, and although at the time this seemed like the worst possible thing to ever happen in the world, it ended up being one of the most cherished times of my life.
 
Living in Europe, especially Italy — carb capital of the world — was not conducive to healthy eating. The copious amounts of pasta, pizza, and foccaccia worked wonders for my young pre-adolescent figure. I became obsessed with pasta there. It is my absolute favorite food—I could eat it every day, if possible. It’s an unhealthy obsession (literally).
 
In Milan, one of my family’s favorite neighborhood haunts was “Ristorante L’Angola.” It had, for the most part, your typical Italian menu, but there was something extra special on it. Every single time, I would order spaghetti pomodoro—a delectable pasta dish that would make my mouth water every single time. When I was finished there was never a single morsel left because it was that good. Pasta is pasta, but the real magic here was the sauce. It is the absolute best tomato sauce I’ve ever tasted.
 

You wouldn’t think that a simple meal like this would have such a hold on a little girl, but trust me—it did. Ever since returning to the U.S. in third grade, I have been searching for the elusive flavor in every Italian restaurant I visit. I even switched things up with our usual spaghetti sauce, adding lemon here and red wine there, but I could never get it right. I came close to the flavor a couple of times but it would never be the same. My pomodoro sauce was lost.
 
Until, one day, being the avid fan of the Food Network that I am, I was watching “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” and came across … hope. There he was, Ted Allen, promoting the best spaghetti with tomato sauce he ever ate at Scott Conant’s restaurant in New York, Scarpetta. My mom and I quickly searched for the recipe online and were lucky enough to find it.
 
It was just as delicious as I had hoped. I had finally found my flavor! All was right with the world again, and I could have my L’Angola spaghetti pomodoro any time I wanted! When my mom and I went to Scarpetta in New York for fall break, it was even better than our version. The angels sang, the heavens opened up, and my taste buds were overwhelmed with joy! So here you are all, the best spaghetti I ever ate:
 
Scott Conant’s Spaghetti with Tomato and Basil
 

 
4 large basil leaves
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
16ish ripe Roma tomatoes (can substitute with canned San Marzano but fresh is best!)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of red chili flakes
Pinch of kosher salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, whole
2 stems of basil, leaves on
 
1. Place large pot of water on stove. Heavily season with salt, bring to a boil.
 
2. Roll basil leaves into cylinder and thinly cut lengthwise into chiffonade. Set aside.
 
3. Cook spaghetti in water and remove when just shy of al dente, around 10 minutes.
 
4. While pasta is cooking, place sauce into sauté pan and heat slowly, allowing it to reduce slightly. Add pasta to pan along with a bit of pasta water to add starch and seasoning.
 
5. Add pasta to the sauce, allow to finish cooking over medium high heat. Sauce should coat pasta and look cohesive.
 
6. Remove from the heat and add basil, cheese, butter, and extra virgin olive oil. Toss until incorporated. Adjust seasoning and serve immediately
 

Tomato sauce:
 
7. Peel and seed tomatoes, easiest way to do so is score bottoms of tomatoes with an “X” and then put into a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds. Then transfer to an ice bath and when cool, the skin should peel right off!
 
8. In a pot or saucepan, place 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. When it is hot, transfer tomatoes in and add a pinch of salt and chili flakes.
 
9. Allow tomatoes to cook and soften and then start to smash with a potato masher. Allow to cook 30 to 45 minutes over medium heat, stirring and smashing occasionally.
 
10. While the tomatoes are cooking, prepare basil-garlic oil. Take small saucepan and place remaining ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil in the pan. Add garlic cloves, basil, and chili flakes. Slowly heat on low or medium low and allow flavors to transfer to oil. Once the garlic is lightly browned, remove from heat and allow cooling for 5 minutes. Strain the oil and combine with tomato mixture.