Quick Tomato Sauce

Yield: Dresses 3/4 pound pasta; serves 3.

Ingredients

• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes or 1 can whole tomatoes ( not packed in puree or sauce)
• 2 medium cloves garlic , peeled
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves (about 8 leaves)
• 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
• 3/4 pound pasta

Instructions

1. If using diced tomatoes, go to step 2. If using whole tomatoes, drain and reserve liquid. Dice tomatoes either by hand or in workbowl of food processor fitted with metal blade (three or four 1/2-second pulses). Tomatoes should be coarse, with 1/4-inch pieces visible. If necessary, add enough reserved liquid to tomatoes to total 2 cups.
2. Process garlic through garlic press into small bowl; stir in 1 teaspoon water (see note above). Heat 2 tablespoons oil and garlic in 10-inch sauté pan over medium heat until fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; simmer until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Stir in basil, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente in large pot of boiling, salted water. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water; drain pasta, and transfer it back to cooking pot. Mix in reserved cooking water, sauce, and remaining oil and salt; cook together over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly, and serve immediately.

Notes: okay to stretch to cover 1 lb pasta. Cooking pasta in sauce at the end is the key.

Variations:

• Bacon and Parsley: Saute garlic with 1/2 t red pepper flakes, using bacon fat instead of olive oil, Add 4 oz crumbled cooked bacon and 2 T chopped parsley along with sugar and salt, omitting basil.
  
  
  
• Vodka and Cream: Saute garlic with 1/2 t red pepper flakes. Add 1/2 cup vodka to tomatoes 5 minutes into simmering, Stir in cream and ground black pepper to taste along with basil, sugar, and salt. Using immersion blender or food processor, pulse to a coarse puree. Return sauce to heat; simmer over medium heat to thicken, 2 to 3 minutes.
  
  
• Anchovy and Olives: Add 1/2 t red pepper flakes and 3 minced anchovy fillets with garlic; substitute 1/4 minced parsley for basil. When cooking pasta in sauce, add 1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced, and 2 T capers, drained.
  

Source: Cooks Illustrated, May 1997.