Spaghetti all'assassina

Put the olive oil and the whole garlic cloves in a medium pan over very low heat; cook with slight bubbling and no colour, so the garlic confits and flavours the oil. Sliced garlic would burn and spoil the oil.

Cook the whole tomatoes in a pan over medium-low heat, crushing them with a spoon; salt and cook, stirring, about 30 minutes until broken down.

Transfer the sauce to a container and blitz smooth with an immersion blender; return to the pan and reduce a little more.

Blitz the soft garlic into its oil with the immersion blender, leaving small chunks; spoon some into the sauce.

Cook briefly, add whole sprigs of fresh basil and let them stew a little without browning, then remove; set the sauce aside.

Heat the garlic oil with the pepperoncino in a pan until aromatic.

Add the dry spaghetti and toast it in the oil, with no water, until every strand is deep dark brown but not burned.

Add a heaping ladleful or two of sauce by eye and cook down until the pasta turns flexible.

Add a little water, let it reduce, turning the pasta only occasionally so it chars on the bottom; repeat adding water and turning. Add a little more sauce at the end if it looks dry, until sticky with crunchy bits and caramelised tomato.

Plate by setting tongs of pasta on the plate and twirling the plate, or with tweezers and a ladle.