Slow-Roasted Tomato Sauce

This sauce can be used with any sort of pasta, and also as a spread for sandwiches or wraps - it tastes delicious. The preparation itself is very simple,but it takes several hours in the oven to achieve that special flavour. It is best to use plum tomatoes, but really any other variety will do as well. Here I used the sauce on some leftover noodles that I happened to have already cooked from the day before.

Ingredients:

* 1 Tbs sugar
* 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
* 1/2 tsp dried basil
* 1/2 tsp dried oregano
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
* 3 lb tomatoes, cut in half
* 2 tsp olive oil
* 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
* chopped fresh basil (optional) 

1)  Preheat oven to 250°F.
2)  Combine sugar, oil, basil, oregano, salt, pepper and tomatoes in a large bowl and toss gently to coat well.
3)  Place tomatoes, cut side up, on a baking sheet. 
4)  Roast for 6 hours.
5)  Let cool for a little bit, then peel the skin off.
6)  Process in blender to a smooth paste.
7)  Heat olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes stirring constantly.
8)  Stir in tomato puree and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes.
9)  Stir in the fresh basil, if using. The sauce can be used immediately or within the next couple of days, for a richer flavour.