The Modern Nonna

0 Add the olive oil to a pot or big skillet with high sides. Add the garlic to the cold oil. Turn the heat to medium and let the oil and garlic come up to temperature together.
1 Once the garlic is sizzling, add the Italian seasoning and tomato paste. Give it a stir and let cook for 20 seconds. Add the tomato sauce and stir.
2 Add the spaghetti O’s (formally called Anelli Siciliani) and water. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and stir. I do not over-salt as my tomato sauce has salt in it and my cheese is also salty as well.
3 I like to freeze all my Parmigiano Reggiano cheese rinds so I always have them on hand. I throw one rind in into any soups, stews, and sauces. Feel free to skip this step if you don’t have a cheese rind. You can also use a Pecorino Romano rind as well.
4 Let everything boil, semi-covered, on medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes or until the pasta is soft (or al-dente if you prefer). Be sure to stir the pasta a few times in between cooking as some of the pasta can get stuck to the bottom of the pot.
5 If you feel like all of the water has evaporated, but the pasta is not cooked yet, add a splash of water as needed until the pasta is cooked. This step will really depend on the pasta shape you use.
6 Once the pasta is fully cooked, take it off the heat, remove the cheese rind, add the freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and stir. Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy.