Serve this all-purpose sauce over pasta, vegetables, chicken, or even omelets, as they do in Italy. It can also be passed at the table as a sauce for beef, pork, or meaty fish such as halibut, or it can even be stirred into soups and stews as a flavor element.
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ yellow onion, minced
6 large, very ripe tomatoes, about 3 pounds total weight, peeled and quartered
3 fresh sprigs of thyme, or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup finely-chopped fresh basil
In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté until translucent, two to three minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the tomatoes begin to break down, about five to 10 minutes. Add the thyme, salt, and pepper and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, until the tomatoes have thickened into a light sauce, about 30 minutes. Some varieties of tomatoes might require a bit longer in cooking to get them a bit thickened.
When the sauce is ready, stir in the basil and remove from the heat. Makes about 4 cups.
