Spaghetti with cherry tomato sauce

Olive oil	2 tablespoons
Onion, small, finely chopped	1
Garlic, finely chopped	2 cloves
Basil	2 sprigs
Thyme	1 sprig
Tarragon	½ sprig
Star anise pod	1
Clove	1
Tomatoes, cherry, halved	4 cups
Sherry	2 teaspoons
Spaghetti	12 ounces

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 
2. Add the onion, and cook, stirring often, until soft but not brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. 
3. Add the garlic, basil, thyme, and tarragon sprigs, star anise, and clove, and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. 
4. Add the tomatoes and sherry. 
5. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes release their juices and the sauce forms, about 10 to 15 minutes. 
6. Discard the thyme, tarragon, and basil sprigs, star anise, and clove. 
7. Season with salt and pepper. 
8. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in lightly salted water until al dente; drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. 
9. Add the pasta and ½ cup of the cooking liquid to the sauce in the skillet. 
10. Cook, tossing and adding more pasta cooking liquid as needed, until the sauce coats the pasta, about 2 minutes. 

Recipe from Bon Appétit, August 2013.