Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   2 1/2  pounds        fresh ripe tomatoes
     1/3  cup           Italian olive oil
     1/2  cup           chopped onion
  30      milliliters   garlic
   2      tablespoons   chopped fresh basil
                        salt and pepper to taste
   1 1/4  pounds        spaghetti
     3/4  cup           parmesan cheese
  20                    basil leaves

Preparation:

Wash, peel and chop tomatoes, discarding seeds. Heat oil in a moderately deep pan, add onion and garlic and sauté‚until onion is limp. Discard garlic and add tomatoes, chopped basil and salt and pepper. Simmer for about 20 minutes over moderate heat. While sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add salt to taste and add spaghetti. Boil until spaghetti is "al dente," aprox 8 to 10 minutes. Drain spaghetti, toss with the sauce and the grated cheese. Garnish each plate with some of the basil leaves. Serve at once.