Sarafina’s One-Pot Pasta

16 ounces linguine
12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
1 onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
2 sprigs basil, chopped or chiffonade
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (I used 1 T lemon olive oil with 1 T regular – yum!)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
4 1/2 cups water (or 3 cups of broth and 1 cup of white wine)
2-3 small Parmesan rinds to add to the stock (for creaminess)
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Combine everything into the pot but the grated Parmesan. Make sure the pasta lays flat.
Bring to boil over high heat.
Boil mixture, stirring and turning pasta frequently with tongs, until pasta is al dente and water has nearly evaporated, about 9 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper and top with grated Parmesan.