Steps

1. Combine 400g of canned whole tomatoes with 4g of salt and 4g of sugar in a bowl. (This is the key!) Adding sugar mellows the acidity of the tomatoes, creating a smoother sauce.
   🕒 02:30
2. Separate the leaves and stems of 1 sprig of basil. Tear the leaves into smaller pieces.
   🕒 03:15
3. Lightly crush 1 clove of garlic.
   🕒 03:36
4. Finely grate 15g of Parmesan cheese.
   🕒 03:43
5. Heat 50g of olive oil, the crushed garlic, and the basil stems in a frying pan over high heat.
   🕒 03:58
6. Once the olive oil begins to shimmer, turn off the heat. (This is the key!) Use residual heat to cook the garlic and basil stems, infusing a gentle aroma into the oil.
   🕒 04:46
7. After the bubbling subsides completely, remove the basil stems. If you want a stronger garlic flavor, crush the garlic with a fork.
   🕒 05:19
8. Return the frying pan to medium heat and add all of the pre-seasoned whole tomatoes.
   🕒 06:04
9. Stir the whole tomatoes and garlic oil together. Simmer over medium heat, reducing the liquid from the tomatoes until the sauce thickens. (This is the key!) It's important to achieve a thick sauce from the tomato liquid first, without crushing the whole tomatoes.
   🕒 06:34
10. Boil 2L of water in a separate pot, add 20g of salt, and begin cooking 180g of spaghetti. (This is the key!) Spaghetti with a rough texture clings well to tomato sauce and is recommended.
    🕒 07:57
11. Once the sauce has thickened, start crushing the whole tomatoes. (This is the key!) Reduce the liquid and gently cook while crushing the tomatoes to preserve their aroma.
    🕒 09:00
12. When the sauce has reduced and the tomato pulp becomes more prominent, add pasta water (to taste) to improve the sauce's fluidity.
    🕒 10:41
13. 30 seconds before the spaghetti is done cooking, transfer it to the sauce pan and add the torn basil leaves.
    🕒 11:13
14. Toss the pasta and sauce thoroughly. If needed, add more pasta water (to taste) to adjust the sauce consistency.
    🕒 11:33
15. Turn off the heat and stir in the grated 15g of Parmesan cheese.
    🕒 11:56
16. Plate and serve. Enjoy!
    🕒 12:18