Everyone needs a quick and easy tomato sauce recipe for adding to your favourite Mediterranean pasta, homemade pizza base or even as a dipping sauce for potato wedges or keftedes. If you have some over ripe tomatoes, add them in as well as they give a sweeter tomato flavour to the sauce. Simply cut a cross at the bottom of the tomato and soak in very hot, boiled water for a few minutes. Drain and peel off the skin. Chop the tomatoes and add to step 2 below.

Tomato & basil sauce

Makes about 650ml

680g jar fine crushed tomatoes

6 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup basil leaves

1 teaspoon raw honey

Himalayan salt and black pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil on medium heat in a small pot with lid. Add the whole garlic cloves and saute for a few minutes to flavour the oil (do not brown the garlic).
Add the tomatoes, honey and season with salt and black pepper. Simmer with the lid on for about 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and add the basil leaves. Blend until smooth. Once cooled completely divide into suitable containers. This sauce freezes very well - label the container and freeze for up to three months.

Cooks note:

This is a great basic sauce for pasta, pizza or even as a tomato dipping sauce for vegetable wedges.
Add extra chopped vegetables in step 1, such as carrot, courgette, or eggplant for a healthy veggie packed sauce.
Add fresh ripe tomatoes to step 2. Skin and chop the tomatoes and simmer with the rest of the ingredients.