Ingredients
2 or 3 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 1/2 pounds fresh ripe tomatoes, cut in chunks, or one 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, with juice, chopped
1 teaspoon salt (omit if using canned tomatoes)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Preparation
IN a heavy nonreactive saucepan over low heat, sweat the garlic in the oil until it begins to soften, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt if you wish, and sugar, raise the heat slightly, and cook rapidly, stirring frequently, while the tomatoes give off their juice and cook down to a thick mass - l5 to 20 minutes. Watch the mixture carefully toward the end to make sure it doesn’t scorch.
PUT the sauce through the fine disk of a food mill, discarding the seeds, bits of skin, and other residue. If the sauce seems thin, return it to medium-low heat and continue cooking, stirring constantly and watching very carefully, until it reaches the desired consistency.
