Quick Tomato Sauce

° Makes 4 cups (6 servings)

Because the tomatoes are not cooked much here—the other ingredients are cooked first and then the tomatoes are added and just heated briefly—the sauce has a very fresh taste.

Tomato paste adds color, texture, and flavor to the tomatoes—especially valuable out of season, when fresh tomatoes tend to be watery and bland. I suggest you use the paste that comes in a tube. You can squeeze out only as much as you need and then recap it so the remainder doesn’t dry out, and it keeps for a long time in the refrigerator.

In addition to making a delicious topping for pasta, the sauce can be used as a garnish for fish or broiled meats. You can even mix it into tomato soup (see Cold Raw Tomato Soup and Tomato Soup with Chives).

• 2½ pounds very ripe tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion (4 to 5 ounces), peeled and chopped fine (1 cup)
• 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed, and chopped very fine (about 1½ teaspoons)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

Plunge the tomatoes into a pot of boiling water for 10 to 15 seconds. Drain in a colander. Peel off the skin and cut the tomatoes crosswise in half. Squeeze them gently, pressing out the seeds and juices (reserve the juices to add later if you like). Cut the tomato flesh into ½-inch pieces (you should have 4 cups).

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan (preferably stainless steel to prevent discoloration). When the oil is hot, add the onion and herbes de Provence and sauté for about 1½ minutes. Add the garlic and stir it into the onion. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, sugar, and tomato paste. Bring the mixture to a strong boil, reduce the heat, and boil gently for 1 to 2 minutes. You can strain the tomato juice into the sauce, discarding the seeds, if you like.