If you notice your market has great looking Roma (plum) tomatoes, making a fresh sauce from just chopped up tomatoes can be so satisfying with amazing, comforting flavors. Especially if you love pasta :) Most of the time the simple and fast sauces are the best.  Just keep it simple, sometimes people think "cooking Italian" needs all this fancy stuff or tons of different ingredients to add such strong flavors. WRONG! Keep it simple and just take the freshness!! Add lots of freshly grated cheese and some basil leaves for the extra tastiness. You'll just keep wanting to eat more.

Ingredients

• 1 pound pasta of your choice

• 6-7 Roma tomatoes

• 3 tbs olive oil

• 1-2 tsp crushed red pepper

• 4-5 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

• bunch of fresh basil leaves

• salt and pepper

• fresh mozzarella

• parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Tomatoes: wash, slice off top and carve out center, squeeze over the sink to squeeze out the center and seeds (this will help the sauce be less acidic). Now either chop them up or throw tomatoes into your blender to give a few pulses to roughly puree.

2. Heat olive oil on low heat in a large pan. Add the garlic, half the basil (chopped/ripped), crushed red pepper- depending how spicy you like it. Simmer on low for about 3-4 minutes, DO NOT BURN THE GARLIC...if you do... start over =D and by start over I mean, wash the pan and start over.

3. Add the chopped or pureed tomatoes. Raise heat to medium. Stir to combine. Bring it to a light boil then lower heat to a low/medium-low. Stir occasionally.

4. Start boiling your water.

5. Cook the tomatoes, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes. It will begin to darken in color and thicken up.

6. Once your pasta is about done, you can season the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Tomatoes can take a lot of salt, it may need it.

7. Once the sauce is a deeper red and thickened up (not very watery) it is done and you may add your pasta to the pan. Give a nice stir to combine.

8. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese, fresh basil, chunks of fresh mozzarella, top pepper flakes and a nice hunk of Italian bread for soaking up that sauce :) serve immediately
   

We’d love to see your finished product! Post your picture on Instagram, tag us @danimade.kitchen and hashtag it #danimade