Even though there are a gazillion varieties of jarred tomatoes sauce on the market, I still can’t help to make my own. Especially at the end of summer, when there are tons of juicy and sweet tomatoes on the market. They may be too ripe and squishy to cut up for an elegant salad, but they do just fine in a homemade tomato sauce.

I like to use Roma tomatoes for my sauce because they don’t have as much water. Beefsteak and other larger varieties will work too. I would stay away from the smaller tomatoes for practical reasons. You’d need a lot of those for a pot of sauce.

This is a very basic tomato sauce recipe. You probably already have all of the ingredients at home. You can add some shredded carrots to the recipe. You can stir in some fresh basil and thyme at the end. Make it a few times and find your own flavorings.

The most straightforward way to serve this sauce is over a bowl of hot pasta. Add some julienned basil and shaved parmesan and you are good to go. I also like to use this sauce over homemade pasta or as a dipping sauce for bread.

My recipe makes a small batch only enough for two servings of pasta. You can easily double/triple/quadruple the recipe to feed a larger crowd. If you are into canning, you can make a huge batch of this and store it for the winter.

I know it seems like a lot of trouble–blanching the tomatoes, peeling them, cooking them down–just for some red sauce. Keep in mind that a lot of the cooking time is unattended. And trust me, you can’t find that late-summer taste in any jar.

Fresh Tomato Sauce

• Tomatoes, 8 medium, I like Roma, you can use whatever you have
• Olive oil, 3 tablespoons
• Onion, 1/2 of a large, finely chopped
• Salt, 1/2 teaspoon, plus more to taste
• Pepper, 1/4 teaspoon, plus more to taste
• Garlic, 2 large cloves, minced
• Red pepper flakes, 1 pinch (2 if you like more of a kick)
• Bay leaf, 1 medium, either dried or fresh will work

Bring a pot of water to boil. Cut an X on the bottom of each tomato. Dunk the tomatoes in the boiling water for 10 to 12 seconds. Immediately transfer the tomatoes to a large bowl of ice water. You should be able to easily peel off the tomato skin from where you made the X. Either finely dice your tomatoes, or crush them with your hands (this is the fun part!), discarding the center of the tomato that feels tough. If you want to be extra fancy, you can seed the tomatoes as you cut them, but I never bother.

Add oil to a saucepan. Saute the onion with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and and red pepper flakes; cook for another minute.

Add the crushed tomatoes and the bay leaf. Bring the tomato mixture to a boil and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until most of the liquid has boiled off and the sauce has thickened. Taste for salt and pepper.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups of sauce, enough for 2 generous servings of pasta.