I make this for my family on weeknights in the late summer when the tomatoes in my garden are juicy and exploding with flavor. Outside of the summer months, canned whole peeled tomatoes work better in this sauce than out-of-season fresh tomatoes.
The oil must—must!—be very hot when you add the tomatoes; you want to fry them, not boil them, at this point. It’s the simple but vital step that gives this sauce its intensity and makes it different from any other tomato sauce you’ve tasted, and it’s why my girls can’t get enough of it. I add pimentón at the end, because I love the smoky undertone—it’s the Spanish in my blood. Never forget: The first recorded recipe for tomato sauce in Italy was called “Spanish sauce.” Boom!
MAKES ABOUT 4½ CUPS
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 garlic cloves
4 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled and cubed, or three 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes, drained, 1½ cups of the juices reserved, and chopped
Kosher salt
Sugar
1 teaspoon pimentón (optional but highly recommended)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until the cloves are softened and just starting to color, about 3 minutes. Turn the heat to high, and when the oil is bubbling, add the tomatoes (being careful not to splash yourself!). Let them fry undisturbed for a few minutes, until a crust forms on the bottom of the tomatoes and they start to pull away from the pan. Stir and repeat, allowing the tomatoes to fry in the oil undisturbed for a few minutes each time—be patient, you’ll need to do this three or four times to really develop the flavor of the tomatoes. Season the tomatoes with salt and sugar. Every tomato is different, so continue to taste and adjust as they cook; the amount of sugar you add will depend on the sweetness of the tomatoes.
Turn the heat down and simmer the sauce for 1 hour, or until it is thick and rich. (If the sauce gets too thick, add a splash of water to thin it out.) Stir in the pimentón, if using, and pepper, and season one more time with salt and/or sugar, if the sauce needs it. Serve immediately or let cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
You can start by serving this with pasta (2 cups of sauce for a pound of dried pasta should do it) and grated Parmesan or aged Manchego cheese, but don’t stop there. I use this sauce for everything—to cover fried eggs, to stir into a stew, to serve as a base for braising green beans or other fresh legumes, and to have as a midnight snack, spooned straight from the refrigerator.