A Basic Italian Tomato Sauce

It only takes a few fresh ingredients to create a simple and delicious tomato sauce. Use ripe tomatoes bursting with flavor. Romas and other paste-style tomatoes are best, but any meaty, thick-walled tomato will suffice. Boil the tomatoes in a deep pot for 30 to 60 seconds and then plunge into a cold bath. The skins will easily slip off. Remove most of the seeds, but don't be a fanatic about it. Crush the tomatoes in a colander and set aside to drain. Save the juice, if you can. It can be added back in later if the sauce gets too thick.

Dice a medium-size onion and saute in two or three tablespoons of olive oil over a medium heat. When the onions start to brown, add three to five cloves of thin-sliced garlic. Add in any other herbs you want to include, like fresh thyme and basil. Add the drained tomatoes to the pan. Cut the acidic bite with a tablespoon of sugar or Splenda. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let the sauce cook down over a medium heat, stirring frequently, until it reaches the right consistency, about 20 to 30 minutes. Ladle over cooked, drained pasta, add some grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, and enjoy.

Get creative once you have the basic recipe down. Use a half-cup of good red wine. Sneak some grated carrots onto your kids' plates. Try adding other herbs to intensify the flavor, like rosemary or oregano. Experiment to find your favorite combination, and make the sauce your own.