MAKES 4 CUPS
You can figure on about 3 cups of sauce per pound of pasta. Chianti or Merlot work well for the dry red wine. Because canned tomatoes vary in acidity and saltiness, it’s best to add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste just before serving. If you prefer a chunkier sauce, give it just three or four pulses in the food processor in step 4.
2 |
(28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes packed in juice |
3 |
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
1 |
medium onion, minced |
2 |
medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons) |
½ |
teaspoon dried oregano |
⅓ |
cup dry red wine (see note) |
3 |
tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves |
Table salt and ground black pepper |
|
1–2 |
teaspoons sugar, as needed (see note) |
1. Pour the tomatoes into a strainer set over a large bowl. Open the tomatoes with your hands and remove and discard the fibrous cores; let the tomatoes drain excess liquid, about 5 minutes. Remove ¾ cup tomatoes from the strainer and set aside. Reserve 2½ cups tomato juice and discard the remainder.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden around the edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and oregano and cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Add the tomatoes from the strainer and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring every minute, until the liquid has evaporated and the tomatoes begin to stick to the bottom of the pan and browned bits form around the pan edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the wine and cook until thick and syrupy, about 1 minute. Add the reserved tomato juice and bring to a simmer; reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally and loosening any browned bits, until the sauce is thickened, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Transfer the sauce to a food processor and add the reserved tomatoes; process until slightly chunky, about 8 pulses. Return the sauce to the skillet, add the basil and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and season with salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. (The sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)