Makes about 6 1/2 cups
| 5 | pounds plum tomatoes, cored, with a shallow “x’’ cut at the tip |
| 3 | tablespoons olive oil |
| 4 | cloves garlic, finely chopped |
| Salt and pepper, to taste | |
| 12 | fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces |
1. Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Set a large heatproof bowl and a colander in the sink.
2. Place half the tomatoes in the bowl. Add boiling water. Let stand for 20 seconds. With a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes to the colander. Repeat with the remaining tomatoes.
3. Pull off and discard the skins. Halve tomatoes crosswise. Squeeze the halves to pop out the seeds; discard them. Coarsely chop the tomatoes.
4. In a soup pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil and garlic for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring often, until the tomatoes soften. With a potato masher, break up the tomatoes.
5. Continue to simmer for 15 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly. (Total cooking time is 30 minutes.) Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like. Stir in the basil.
Sally Pasley Vargas 
