Nunzio's Tomato Sauce

From Special Sauce

I was at the public library for a book repair workshop, so I sat and copied down a bunch of tomato sauce recipes. This one was picked because I didn't have to go to the store to buy anything for it! It comes from Italian Farmhouse Cookbook, written by Susan Hermann Loomis. Pretty basic, but cooking it over an hour brings a richness to the sauce.

From Special Sauce

Here it is bubbling away on the stove. You can see the oil around the bubbles on the surface of the sauce, and honestly I think I may cut back on oil by half if I make this recipe again. It tastes really good but I'm not sure the oil is adding much that half of the amount wouldn't do.

From Special Sauce

Here is the sauce after cooking for an hour and twenty minutes. Reduced completely, rich and delicious. We liked it, but for me, it wasn't unique enough to be called "special," and that is what I'm searching for.

Nunzio's Tomato Sauce

2 cans (28 oz each) whole tomatoes with juice (I used San Marzano)
4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
1 tbsp coarse sea salt
2 tbsp granulated sugar
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh basil

Place all ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan, cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium so the sauce is boiling gently, uncover, and cook, stirring occasionally and crushing the tomatoes, until all the liquid is evaporated, about 1 1/4 hours. Stir more often as it thickens.