30-Minute Fresh Tomato Marinara

1. Roughly chop the tomatoes and add them to a food processor. (Don't worry about peeling or seeding them). Pulse the food processor until the tomatoes are broken down into a salsa-like texture (very small chunks). If you want your sauce to be completely smooth, rather than a bit chunky, see my tips in the recipe notes. 2. In the widest pan you have (avoid using a saucepan; see notes), warm the olive oil over medium heat. 3. Add the garlic and cook for about 60 seconds, just until it becomes fragrant and sizzles a little bit. 4. Add the chopped tomato mixture and a generous pinch of salt; stir. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Do not cover. 5. Take a sharp knife to score the stem of the basil sprig in a few places, without cutting all the way through. Place the basil sprig on top of the sauce and press it down. 6. Continue cooking the sauce uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 20 more minutes, or until thickened to your desired texture. You may notice that the marinara sauce looks pink at first, then eventually turns a brighter reddish orange as the tomatoes cook. Some of the oil will start to separate to the top. Cooking time will vary depending on the variety of tomatoes used, and will be longer if you don't use a shallow, wide pan. 7. Season the sauce to taste with additional salt. Leftovers, once cooled, can be stored in the refrigerator in a glass container for up to a week.