Place a large pot of water over high heat and add in a generous amount of salt.

While waiting for the water to boil, mince the garlic, halve the tomatoes, and chop the basil. Once the water boils, drop in the pasta, stirring every few minutes so that it doesn’t stick together, and cook until al dente.

While the pasta cooks, make the tomato sauce: Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat and add in the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, stir in the garlic, cooking for just 10-15 seconds; be careful to not let the garlic burn! Add in the halved cherry tomatoes and stir them together with the garlic. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then cook the tomatoes, stirring often and using a wooden spoon to gently smash them until they burst. Cook the sauce for about 6-8 minutes, or until the tomatoes are saucy and jammy, then turn off the heat.

Before draining the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and add about ½ cup to the tomato sauce in the skillet. Drain the pasta and set aside while you blend the sauce. Use an immersion blender* to blend the tomato sauce and ½ cup pasta water so that it’s mostly pureed but still has some chunks of tomato remaining. Fold in the chopped fresh basil.

Transfer the cooked pasta into the skillet with the tomato sauce and use tongs to toss the pasta with the sauce. If needed, add in more pasta water to loosen up the sauce. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and fresh basil leaves on top.