Spaghetti al pomodoro with fresh cherry tomatoes

Bring a pot of water to the boil with 1 tbsp rock salt; boil the spaghetti about 13 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes so it does not stick.

Put 4 to 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a stainless steel pan over medium-low heat.

Crush the garlic and add with a splash of tap water so it does not burn; cook under 30 seconds.

Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until soft and releasing juice, 2 to 3 minutes (said as three, four minutes later).

Add some basil on the stalk to infuse the tomatoes; add a splash of water to clean the bottom of the pan; remove the basil.

Gently blend the tomatoes to crush the skins and release more juice (or crush with a potato masher); return to the stove about a minute.

Add the al dente spaghetti straight from the water; switch off the stove and add plenty of fresh basil.

Toss; add pepper, pecorino and a little splash of pasta water and stir gently; finish tossing.

Plate, spoon the sauce left in the pan over the top, add pecorino and decorate with the smallest basil leaves.