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1
For the tomato sauce: Put the tomatoes and their juice in the bowl of a food processor.
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2
Grate 3 to 4 tablespoons of the onion directly into the food processor so the juice falls into the tomatoes.
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3
Add the sugar, basil, garlic and a liberal drizzle of EVOO (about 1 tablespoon), and season with sea salt and pepper.
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4
Whizz the mixture up until it's pureed, then transfer it to a small pot.
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5
Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook 20 to 30 minutes.
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6
(If you're not serving the sauce immediately, cool and then refrigerate it.
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7
Any leftovers are delicious on spaghetti with butter and cheese for a more simple supper another night.
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8
It also freezes well if you want to make a double or triple batch.)
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9
Rinse out the food processor and return the bowl to the base.
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10
For the chile paste: Finely chop the chiles (remove the seeds if you want to curb their heat a little).
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11
Sprinkle some sea salt over the chiles on the cutting board, then mash in the garlic to form a paste.
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12
Mix with the harissa in a small container.
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13
Cover and store in the refrigerator.
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14
For the pesto: Lightly toast the pine nuts in a small skillet.
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15
Let cool completely.
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16
Combine the pine nuts, basil, parsley, EVOO, cheese and garlic in the food processor.
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17
Season with salt, pepper and a few grates of nutmeg.
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18
Pulse until the mixture is well blended, then transfer to a small container.
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19
Cover and store in the refrigerator.
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20
(The pesto freezes well, so double or triple the batch if you like.)
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21
To serve, bring the sauces to room temperature.
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22
Reserve one-third of the chile for other uses.
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23
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the spaghetti until al dente.
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24
Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid, then drain the pasta.
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25
Meanwhile, reheat the tomato sauce in a small pot over medium-low heat.
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26
Put the pasta in a serving bowl, douse with the reserved cooking water and stir in all of the tomato sauce and half of the pesto.
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27
Drizzle with EVOO and add 1 tablespoon of the chile sauce at a time, adjusting it to your preferred level of heat.
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28
Toss vigorously to combine.
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29
Serve with lots of cheese and the remaining chile paste and pesto sauce for stirring in to each person's taste.
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30
Finish with another drizzle of EVOO.
