Step 1

Heat olive oil in a large skillet/sauté pan and add the shallots and garlic and cook until softenedAdd tomatoes. Swirl them around in the pan so they are get heated on all sides.Cook tomatoes with chili flakes a basil until they start to burst - You can give the tomatoes a nudge to burst, by gently pushing some of them down with the back of a wooden spoon as necessary, or poking them with the edge of a sharp knife.Continue cooking and stirring until tomatoes have released their juices and have turned into a luscious sauceCook pasta while sauce is simmering and then drain and add to sauce and stir cooking until coated. Serve with cheese and basil and enjoy!

Step 2

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heatAdd shallots, season lightly with salt, and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until shallots are softened but not browned. Add garlic and continue to cook for another minute, stirring frequently until garlic is softened. Adjust heat to medium-heat if needed.Add cherry tomatoes, basil sprigs and chili flakes, swirling them around in the skillet to distribute them in an even layer, and cook until tomatoes begin to burst, about 4-5 minutes. You can coax the tomatoes into bursting by pressing down on them with a wooden spoon, but leave some tomatoes whole.Continue to cook and stir tomato mixture until it forms a creamy, emulsified sauce, with some tomatoes still whole but others completely broken down, approx another 8-10 minutes longer. Check for salt and pepper and season as needed and stir in a pinch of sugar if sauce is too tart. Pluck out the basil sprigs.While sauce is simmering, cook pasta in a large pot according to package directions then drain reserving a little bit of pasta water and add the pasta to the skillet and cook stirring just another minute until well coated, adding a touch of pasta water if needed to loosen up pastaRemove from heat, stir in basil and season to taste with more salt. Serve immediately in large bowl family style or in individual bowls. Serve with Parmesan cheese and extra basil according to taste or serve with some torn burrata.