Tomato Sauce

Homemade tomato sauce does not need 15 ingredients to be good. This is the bare-bones Italian style: ripe tomatoes, olive oil, a single garlic clove, a bay leaf, a touch of sugar to soften the acidity, and salt and pepper. You add water in two stages so the tomatoes have liquid to break down into without scorching, and a splash of vinegar at the end brightens the whole pot.

The trick is patient cooking. Mash the tomatoes against the pan as they soften, letting them slowly release their juice and reduce to a thick, glossy sauce. The hour-long simmer concentrates the natural sugars in the tomatoes, which is why this recipe shines with peak-season fruit. Use it for pasta, as a pizza base, or as the starting point for any tomato-based recipe that needs depth without complication.

Pro Tips

• Use the ripest, in-season tomatoes you can find. Roma or San Marzano work especially well for sauce because of their meaty flesh and low water content.
• Peel the tomatoes first if you want a smooth sauce. Score an X on the bottom, dunk in boiling water for 30 seconds, then into ice water, and the skins slip right off.
• Mash the tomatoes occasionally with the back of a wooden spoon as they cook. This speeds the breakdown and gives a chunky rustic texture.
• Add the vinegar only at the end, not during cooking. Long heat mutes the brightening effect entirely.
• Taste before adding more salt at the end. Reduced sauces concentrate the salt already in the tomatoes.

Variations

• Stir in a small can of tomato paste for a deeper, richer sauce with a longer keeping time.
• Add fresh basil at the end for a classic Italian finish.
• Drop in red pepper flakes during cooking for an arrabbiata-style heat.