This can be used only as a fresh sauce for pasta, but also as an element in many different dishes. When tomatoes are abundant, this is a good sauce to make in quantity and freeze or can. If you are going to pass the sauce through a food mill, there’s no need to peel and seed the tomatoes beforehand. The food mill will strain out all the skins and seeds.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 2 cups

　　2 pounds ripe tomatoes

　　5 large garlic cloves

　　1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

　　Salt

　　

Step 1

Peel, seed, and dice (see left): 2 pounds ripe tomatoes.

　　

Step 2

Save the juice, strain out the seeds, and add the juice to the diced tomatoes. Peel: 5 large garlic cloves.

　　

Step 3

Smash them and chop coarse.

　　

Step 4

Put a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and when hot, pour in: 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil.

　　

Step 5

Add the garlic and when it starts to sizzle, immediately add the tomatoes and their juice with a large pinch of: Salt.

　　

Step 6

Cook at a simmer for 15 minutes. For a smooth sauce, pass through a food mill.

　　

Variations

Step 7

Add a handful of chopped parsley, marjoram, or oregano or a chiffonade of basil leaves to the sauce a couple of minutes before it is done.

　　

Step 8

Sauté 1 small diced onion in the oil before adding the garlic.

　　

Step 9

When tomatoes are out of season, use canned tomatoes: Drain, saving the juice, one 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes. Chop the tomatoes coarse and cook them with their juice.

　　

Step 10

Add a whole dried chile or a pinch of dried chile flakes for spice.

　　The Art of Simple Food