SPAGHETTI WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Ingredients
a bunch of fresh basil
1 medium onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 kg ripe tomatoes, or 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
olive oil
tablespoon red wine or balsamic vinegar
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
500 g dried spaghetti
15 g parmesan cheese


Preparation
Pick the basil leaves onto a chopping board then roughly chop the remaining leaves and finely chop the stalks.
Peel and finely slice the onion and garlic. If using fresh, cut the tomatoes in half, then roughly chop them or carefully open the tins of tomatoes. Put a saucepan on a medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the onion, then cook for around 7 minutes, or until soft and lightly golden. Stir in the garlic and basil stalks for a few minutes, then add the fresh or tinned tomatoes and the vinegar. Season with a tiny pinch of salt and pepper, then continue cooking for around 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chopped basil leaves, then reduce to low and leave to tick away.
Meanwhile fill a large pot three-quarters of the way up with boiling water, add a tiny pinch of salt and bring back to the boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to packet. Once the pasta is done, ladle out and reserve a cup of the cooking water and keep it to one side, then drain in a colander over the sink and tip the spaghetti back into the pot. Stir the spaghetti into the sauce, adding a splash of the pasta water to loosen, if needed.
Serve with the reserved basil leaves sprinkled over the top and use a microplane to finely grate the Parmesan cheese, then sprinkle over.