Ingredients:

  • 450g Penne, Rigatoni, or Fusilli pasta
  • 15g sea salt
  • 120ml reserved starchy pasta water
  • 30ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 30g unsalted butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 small shallot, finely diced
  • 45g concentrated tomato paste
  • 400g crushed tomatoes
  • 240ml heavy cream
  • 2g red pepper flakes
  • 2g granulated sugar
  • 50g freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 10g fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
  • 1g freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions:

  1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Add your chosen pasta and cook for 1–2 minutes less than the package directions. Reserve 120ml of the pasta water before draining.
  2. While the pasta boils, melt the butter with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until translucent (about 3 minutes). Stir in the minced garlic and red pepper flakes, sautéing for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  3. Add the tomato paste to the skillet. Stir constantly for 2 minutes until the paste darkens in color. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes on low-medium heat until the sauce thickens slightly.
  4. Lower the heat to low. Slowly pour in the heavy cream, stirring constantly until the sauce turns uniform pink. Toss in the cooked pasta and half of the reserved pasta water. Stir vigorously while adding the Parmesan cheese until a thick, velvety glaze forms. Garnish with fresh basil and black pepper.