Fresh garden tomato sauce

Pull off the sepals and cut out the cores; halve and quarter the larger tomatoes.

Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a pot over medium; sizzle the sliced garlic about 30 seconds, add the basil leaves and cook about 30 seconds more until the thinnest garlic just starts to turn golden.

Carefully add the tomatoes, which stop the garlic cooking before it turns dark and bitter; add a big pinch of salt and an optional pinch of chili flakes.

Raise to medium-high and stir until the tomatoes collapse, liquefy and simmer.

Off the heat, push everything through a strainer, leaving only seeds and skin.

Reduce over medium or medium-high a couple of minutes until it thickens slightly; keep it fairly thin so pasta can finish cooking in it.