3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for roasting
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
2 long mild red chilies, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon caster sugar*
3 pints cherry tomatoes (reserve 20 whole tomatoes; the rest can be chopped)
1/2 cup water
salt and freshly ground black pepper
small bunch of fresh basil, leaves and stems reserved separately
1 box of spaghetti pasta
wedge of Parmesan cheese, for grating

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the garlic and chilies and fry gently over low heat until the garlic begins to take on some color. Stir in the tomato paste, sugar and chopped tomato. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes, add the water, stir and season with the salt and pepper.  Tie the basil stems together and add them to the sauce. Bring the sauce to a rapid boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently until reduced to a thickened sauce, then remove the basil stems and discard.
   
While the sauce is cooking, preheat the oven to 220 degrees and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Scatter the 20 reserved cherry tomatoes across a baking sheet or shallow roasting tray, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and splash with a little olive oil. Roast in the oven for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until they begin to split.
 
Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted water until al dente, then drain, saving a cupful of the cooking water. Put the drained pasta back in its cooking pot.
   
To serve, tip the sauce over the pasta, add a small splash of the reserved pasta water, a good grind of black pepper and some torn basil leaves and mix thoroughly. If the sauce is too thick, add more of the water. Next, fold through the roasted cherry tomatoes and divide among 4 plates or pasta bowls. Top with the remaining basil leaves and grate on Parmesan cheese as desired. Serves 4. 

*An unrefined sugar made from unrefined sugar cane. Hormel, among others, makes it.