Spaghetti with Tomato and Caramelized Onions

To prepare spaghetti with tomato and caramelized onions, start with the latter. Peel the onions, cut them first in half 1 and then into very thin slices, without removing the base of the onion so they do not separate 2. In a large pan, pour a drizzle of oil and add the onions 3.

Now add the salt 4 and cook them for about 20 minutes on very low heat 5, stirring them often. In the meantime, prepare the sauce: wash the tomatoes well and cut them in half 6.

Once you have cut them all 7, prepare the sauté. In a large pan, pour a drizzle of oil, 2 previously crushed garlic cloves, and the tomato paste 8. As soon as the garlic is well golden, remove it 9.

Now add the tomatoes 10. Stir and cook on high heat for 5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and crush them with a wooden spoon 11; in this way, they will release all their juice. Cover with a lid 12, lower the heat, and cook for another 15 minutes.

As soon as the onions are well softened, add the sugar 13. Deglaze with balsamic vinegar 14 and cook for another 15 minutes, until they are well caramelized, soft, similar to a jam 15.

At this point, the sauce will also be ready: the tomatoes should be very juicy 16. Cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water 17. Keeping aside the cooking water, drain the pasta very al dente, about 4 minutes before, and transfer it to the sauce. Finish cooking by adding the reserved cooking water.

When the pasta is cooked to the right point, turn off the heat, add a drizzle of oil 19, and toss it well. Create a nest of spaghetti on each plate, add some stracciatella on top, the caramelized onions 20, a drizzle of oil, and finish with basil leaves 21.