Basic Tomato Sauce

As promised, this is my go-to sauce for pizza. I use it for pasta as well, and it always gets rave reviews from the husband. I grew up on Prego and had a hard time finding a homemade sauce I liked as much. Leave it to Mark Bittman again and his simplicity to help me find my new favorite.

Basic Tomato Sauce

from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything

3 tbs olive oil

3 cloves garlic, lightly smashed

1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes (I usually used crushed)

salt and pepper to taste

Warm 2 tbs oil with the garlic in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is lightly golden. Drain tomatoes (only if using whole tomatoes) and remove seeds if you wish to. Crush them with a fork or your hands and add them to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to break down and the mixture becomes "saucy," about 10 minutes. Remove garlic. Stir in remaining tbs of oil, taste for salt and add more if necessary.

(Sauce may be covered and refrigerated for a day or two, or put in a closed container and frozen for several weeks.)