cook like james

Quick Fresh Summer Tomato Basil Sauce

Nothing beats fresh tomato sauce made with your own (or someone else’s) garden tomatoes. The few simple ingredients combine to make a truly delicious and authentic pasta sauce. This recipe can easily be doubled if you have an abundance of tomatoes, and it freezes really well, so it’s worth making a big batch. Perfect with angel hair, but any favorite pasta can be used. 

Download Quick Fresh Tomato Sauce

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5-6 cloves garlic , minced

2 pounds ripe red tomatoes (Beefsteak, Roma, or the best you can find), cored, peeled and diced (for easy peeling, just drop tomatoes in boiling water for about 15 seconds)

½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1/8- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Pinch of sugar, optional

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

Ground black pepper, to taste

1. Stir oil and garlic together in large skillet. Turn heat to medium and cook until garlic is sizzling and fragrant, about 2 minutes, do not let it burn. Stir in tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt and red pepper flakes. Increase to medium high and bring to rapid simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, reducing heat if sauce begins to stick to bottom of pan, until thickened and chunky, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste (add a pinch of sugar if the tomatoes are too acidic.