Penne all'Arrabbiata

Infuse the oil cold. Put the olive oil, sliced garlic and chilli flakes into the pan while it's still cold, then set it over medium-low heat. Warming the aromatics gradually with the oil lets the garlic infuse its flavour without scorching, since burnt garlic turns bitter fast. Sizzle gently for 4-5 minutes until the garlic turns pale gold rather than brown.

Add tomatoes and simmer. Crush the tomatoes in by hand along with the salt, then let the sauce simmer briskly for 12-15 minutes, stirring now and then. It's ready when it has thickened and a little oil starts to separate at the edges of the pan, a sign the tomatoes have broken down fully into the fat.

Boil and salt the water. Bring 3 litres of water to the boil and stir in the 24g of salt. Add the penne and stir well during the first minute so the pieces don't stick to each other or the base of the pot, then cook for one minute less than the packet time.

Reserve water and drain. Ladle out 240ml of the cooking water into a mug, then drain the penne in a colander. This starchy water will help the sauce grip the pasta rather than slide off it.

Finish in the sauce. Tip the penne into the sauce with 60ml of the reserved water and set the pan over high heat, tossing and stirring for 1-2 minutes. The pasta finishes cooking here, and its released starch thickens the sauce into a coating rather than a puddle; add more water if it tightens up too fast.

Stir in cheese and parsley. Take the pan off the heat before stirring in half the Parmesan and the chopped parsley, so the cheese melts smoothly into the sauce instead of clumping into strings over direct heat. Serve immediately with the remaining Parmesan on the side.