Name: Fresh Tomato Puttanesca Sauce
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 garlic cloves , minced; 2 pounds plum tomatoes , cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives; 1/4 cup capers , rinsed; 3/4 teaspoon table salt; 1/2 teaspoon sugar; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Why This Recipe Works

The best tomato sauce recipes are simple, consisting of nothing more than garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, herbs, salt, a bit of sugar, and pepper. With that philosophy in mind, we set out to develop a fresh tomato sauce recipe that capitalized on this list of ingredients. We found that cooking the garlic in oil for just a minute or two prevented it from burning. The tomatoes, which we cooked for just 10 minutes, broke down readily and thickened slightly, just enough to ably coat the pasta. We added briny olives and capers to round out our pungent puttanesca.

Before You Begin

Be sure to choose the ripest tomatoes you can find. While this sauce is best when eaten right away, it can be frozen for up to one month. If you plan to freeze it, hold off on adding the basil until right before serving. If you’re using exceptionally sweet in-season tomatoes, omit the sugar.

Instructions

Heat oil and garlic in large saucepan over medium heat until garlic is fragrant but not browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, olives, capers, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and sugar. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until tomatoes are broken down and sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.