Mike notes: This cooked sauce is all about deepening flavors and driving off excess moisture. Don’t use a saucepan or put a lid on — we want the evaporation benefits of a wide, shallow pan. Sauce is blended at the end so don’t stress about the size of the tomato chunks. The sauce thins out a decent bit from being blended so cook the sauce slightly beyond your desired final texture.

• 28 oz whole peeled tomatoes in puree
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• Black pepper
• (optional) Balsamic vinegar

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Pour 4-5 Tbsp of tomato puree into pan and cook until a deep brick red color. Using kitchen scissor, chop the tomatoes into chunks in the can. Add rest of tomatoes and seasoning to taste. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes until flavor has deepened and sauce has slightly thickened. Sauce should be thick enough to not fill bottom of pan after scraping with spatula. Let cool completely then blend. Add salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar to taste.