Describing my ideal pomodoro sauce makes is sound like a complicated affair. It’s not – it’s just a bit of process and finesse. The result is more than worth the additional effort – fresher and more vegetal than it’s gloopy, concentrated cousin.

• About 10 plum or other medium sized tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 1 small bunch of basil, whole
• 1 tsp chile pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste
• A pinch of sugar

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a vigorous boil. While it’s heating up, get an ice bath set up in a large bowl.
2. Once the water is at a boil, plop the tomatoes in for 30-45 seconds until the skins just begin to break. Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon, dumping them straight into the ice bath.
3. Peel the tomatoes and then chop them in half. Remove most of the seed pods, but don’t dispose of them.
4. Place the discarded seeds into a sieve. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of salt to draw out the moisture and place over a bowl.
5. While the seedy bits are draining, put the tomatoes into a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Before they get too hot, crush the tomatoes in your fists like you’re some kind of unforgiving tomato king. Sure, you could use a potato masher, but this way is so much more cathartic. Add a pinch of salt and sugar. Keep the mix simmering.
6. Meanwhile, add the oil, garlic, basil and chile pepper flakes to a cold, large frying pan over a low flame. Watch this carefully – you don’t want this oil infusion to start sizzling. Just before the oil starts popping, turn the heat off and let it sit for 10 minutes or so while tomatoes continue to simmer.
7. Once the tomatoes have broken down, add in the liquid you’ve extracted from the seed pods and simmer for another 10 minutes or so. Taste and season.
8. Decant the oil infusion directly into the tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes or until the sauce is fully emulsified.

One of my favourite meals on the planet is a spaghetti pomodoro made with this sauce. Cook the spaghetti 2 minutes less than directed and then finish the pasta in a pan with the sauce and few splashes of the water you cooked the noodles in. You don’t want the pasta downing in sauce, just well coated.

Reduced to Wild Nothing – Gemini.