Simple Fresh Tomato Sauce

This is a very simple tomato sauce that leaves itself open to variations and additions.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Yields: 1 jar tomato sauce

Ingredients

• 2  lbs  ripe plum tomatoes
• 1⁄2 cup olive oil
• 12  fresh basil leaves
• 2  cloves garlic, lightly crushed
•  salt & freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Start by peeling the tomatoes.
2. The easiest way to do this is to fill a bowl with boiling water, cut a slice down the side of each tomato (just deep enough to cut the skin) and plunge them into the water for about a minute.
3. When you take them out, the skin should come off easily.
4. Once peeled, seed and slice the tomatoes and put them in a bowl.
5. When you are done, heat the oil and the garlic in another pot and stir in the tomato pieces before the oil gets too hot.
6. Season with salt and pepper, simmer over a low flame for 10 minutes, stir in the basil leaves, simmer for five more minutes, and it's done.