Tomato sauce in less than an hour

It’s easy to think of tomato sauce at two ends of the spectrum: Straight out of the jar or cooked for hours on the stove top.

Friends, I’m pleased to report there’s a happy medium that gets you a flavorful sauce in less than one hour — and with very little work. I was more than thrilled to make that discovery, because in my initial testing, I followed a recipe that involved about two hours worth of prep (boiling, peeling, seeding and chopping), eight pounds of Roma/plum tomatoes — plus an hour of cooking. It was … a lot. I pitted it against a recipe that basically had you throw the whole tomato in as is, with a mere 30 minutes in the pot.

Tasters liked both, but the amount of effort required gave the quick sauce a clear advantage. The recipe comes from Lynne Rossetto Kasper, formerly of “The Splendid Table” radio show. Her sauce was maybe a bit on the watery side. To compensate, I switched to Roma tomatoes, which are meatier and contain less liquid. I made a few other nips and tucks — a little less onion here, a little more salt there — and added a tablespoon of tomato paste for a jump-start on a more intense savory, long-cooked flavor.

This revision blew the tasting panel away.

Fresh Tomato Sauce

Active: 20 minutes, Total: 50 minutes. 8 servings; makes about 4 cups Adapted from a recipe by Lynne Rossetto Kasper at splendidtable.org.

Make Ahead: The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 6 months.

5 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

12 large fresh basil leaves, torn

¼ medium onion, chopped

½ teaspoon sea salt, or more as needed

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more as needed

1 tablespoon tomato paste

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

3½ pounds plum or Roma tomatoes, cored and quartered

In a 4-quart saucepan, combine the garlic, basil, onion, salt, pepper, tomato paste and olive oil. Heat over medium-high heat for 30 seconds; you should be able to smell the ingredients, but they shouldn’t be burning. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up a bit more with your hands as they go into the pan. Bring to a lively bubble, uncovered, and cook 30 minutes, or until the sauce is thick and reduced by half. Stir often, watching for sticking or scorching.

Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let stand 15 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed.

If you prefer a smoother texture, pass the sauce through a food mill or process it with a blender, immersion blender or food processor. Serve warm, with pasta or your dish of choice.

Nutrition | Calories: 100; Total Fat: 7 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 150 mg; Carbohydrates: 9 g; Dietary Fiber: 3 g; Sugars: 6 g; Protein: 2 g.