Tomato sauce

By raffterman

Ingredients

• 5 lb (2.3 kg) fresh ripe roma tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons (45ml) olive oil
• 1 whole head of garlic
• 1 bunch of fresh thyme about 12 sprigs
• 2 medium Spanish onions diced 1/4 inch (.31cm)
• 2 cups (500ml) Italian red wine
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh oregano
• 1/2 cup (125ml) fresh basil
• Salt and pepper
• Balsamic vinegar or sugar OPTIONAL – see note

Preparation

Step 1

Wash tomatoes and cut in half lengthwise.
Remove seeds using your fingers. Discard seeds.
Place all tomatoes cut side up on 2 baking sheets. Drizzle with half of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Peel garlic.
Slice all the garlic cloves thin. Place garlic slices into the cavities of tomatoes. Scatter the thyme all over the tomatoes.
Preheat oven to 400F (204°C).
Place tomatoes in oven to roast for 15-20 minutes or until skin is blistered, golden and skin slips off with ease.
Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Discard sprigs of thyme.
Remove skins and squeeze any excess juice of skins into bowl. Reserve. Place all peeled tomatoes and slivered garlic in bowl. Using your hands mash up tomatoes to break up any big chunks.
Place a large pot over medium heat. Add the remaining olive oil to heat for one minute.
Add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add the tomatoes and reserved juice.
Deglaze pan with red wine and bring mixture to a simmer. Roughly chop the oregano and add to tomatoes.
Over low heat cook until slightly thickened about 30 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat. Roughly tear up the basil and add to the pot with salt and pepper.
Serve with your favorite pasta with parmesan cheese.
Note: if sweetness is needed to balance the acidity of sauce you can add balsamic vinegar or pinch of sugar to round out the taste.