10-minute tomato sauce

Makes 2 1/2 cups

The sauce doubles or triples easily, as long as you have a pot large enough to hold it. Spoon the sauce over grilled fish or chicken, or use as a base for soups and stews. To serve with pasta, ladle a little sauce into the bowls, add the pasta, and top with more sauce. If you are not using the sauce immediately, don't add the butter or cream. Add it when you warm the sauce before serving.

8	large, ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 3/4 pounds)
3	tablespoons olive oil
1	large clove garlic, halved
1/8	teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
	Salt and black pepper, to taste
	Handful fresh basil leaves, torn or snipped with scissors
2	tablespoons butter or heavy cream (optional)

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Meanwhile, remove the cores from the tomatoes. Drop the tomatoes into the water and cook for 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to lift the tomatoes from the water. With a small paring knife, peel off and discard the skin. Halve the tomatoes and chop them coarsely.

2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil. With the side of a chef's knife, press down on the garlic to crush it. Remove peel, add the garlic to the oil, and cook it over low heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until golden but not burnt. With a slotted spoon, remove the garlic from the oil and discard it.

3. Add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Stir in the basil leaves and butter or cream, if using. Julie Riven