Method
Begin by bringing a large pot of water with about 3 tablespoons of salt to a boil, and through in the pasta.

Heat up some olive oil in a pan. Add lightly crush 2 large cloves of garlic – here, the garlic should remain more or less whole to give off aroma but not irrevocably permeate the pasta sauce. Separate the Thai basil stems from the leaves and add at least 3-4 stems together with the garlic. Add in some deseeded chopped fresh red chili or half a bird-eye chili for a kick.

Once the aromas are noticeable, add a table spoon of tomato paste and cook it for about 20 seconds. Add a can of cherry tomatoes. Fill the can all the way with water and add that to the sauce. Let this simmer for 5-7 min on low to medium-low heat, ideally with a lid on, stirring occasionally to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom while at the same time crushing a few cherry tomatoes into the sauce.

Throw in a handful of Thai basil leaves, adding a bit of salt and freshly ground black pepper, and stir in grated parmesan cheese.

Add in the al dente cooked spaghetti, stirring it vigorously into the sauce, and add about a 2 cups of pasta water. The above ingredients make enough sauce for about 200 grams of dried pasta. To get maximum flavour, you want the pasta to finish cooking in the sauce, so add pasta water as necessary to reach that stage according to your pasta type.

Once the pasta is just cooked through: add about 4 tablespoons of butter and stir. Turn off the heat and let the pasta sit undisturbed for 3-5 min. I find that this allows the sauce to stick really well to the pasta (provided you buy the right type of dried pasta).

Drizzle with olive oil to finish. Try it with a blob of yogurt on the side to cut through the richness of the tomato sauce.