Boil the pasta: Fill a large pot with water, add a generous handful of salt (it should taste like the sea), and bring to a rolling boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 1 minute less than the packet suggests. You want the pasta to still have a slight white core when you bite it — it will finish cooking in the sauce. Reserve 150ml of the starchy pasta water before draining.

Sweat the garlic: While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring often, until it turns pale gold and smells fragrant. You should hear a gentle sizzle — if it's spitting aggressively, turn the heat down slightly. Do not let the garlic brown, or it will turn bitter.

Bloom the chilies: Stir in the Calabrian chili paste and let it cook for 30 seconds. The oil will turn a deep, rusty red, and you'll smell a warm, fruity heat that makes your eyes water just a little. This step wakes up the chilies and infuses the oil with their flavour.

Cook the tomatoes: Add the halved cherry tomatoes and the teaspoon of salt. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally. The tomatoes will soften, release their juices, and begin to collapse — you'll see the sauce turn from chunky to a slightly jammy, saucy consistency. The skins will wrinkle and some will peel away naturally.

Emulsify the sauce: Pour in the reserved pasta water and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Use your spoon to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan — that's pure flavour. Let it bubble for 1 minute until the sauce thickens slightly and looks glossy. The starch from the pasta water helps the oil and tomato juices marry together.

Toss the pasta: Add the drained spaghetti directly into the pan of sauce. Use tongs or a pasta fork to lift and turn the pasta, coating every strand in the glossy red sauce. Toss for about 1 minute — you'll see the sauce cling to the pasta rather than pooling at the bottom. If it looks dry, add a splash more pasta water.

Finish off the heat: Remove the pan from the heat. Add the torn basil and lemon zest, then toss once more. The residual heat will wilt the basil just enough without turning it black. Serve immediately with grated Parmesan if you like, and an extra drizzle of olive oil.