Step 1- Boil the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a generous pinch of salt you want the water to taste like the sea, not like a puddle. Add the pasta and cook until it's just shy of tender, still firm in the middle (al dente, if we're being fancy). Drain it, but save 1 cup of that starchy pasta water. You'll need it later.
Step 2- Start the sauce. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in your skillet over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until it smells incredible, about 1 minute. Watch it closely here burnt garlic ruins everything, and there's no coming back from it.
Step 3- Blister the tomatoes. Add the halved tomatoes, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir occasionally and cook until the tomatoes soften and start bursting open, roughly 4-5 minutes. Using a fork, mash about two-thirds of the tomatoes to release their juices and build a chunky, rustic sauce. I always leave a third of them intact it looks prettier and gives you little pockets of pure tomato flavor.
Step 4- Bring it all together. Add the drained pasta, 1 cup of the fresh basil, and the vegan parmesan straight into the skillet. If the sauce feels too thick, splash in some of that reserved pasta water until it loosens up to your liking. Turn off the heat and stir everything together. Taste it does it need more salt? More pepper? Trust your tongue here.
Step 5: Serve it up. Plate it in pasta bowls with garlic toast on the side (non-negotiable, in my opinion). Top with extra vegan parmesan and a scattering of fresh basil leaves. Dinner's ready in half an hour, and it looks like you tried way harder than you did.
