Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and dried Thai pepper..
As soon as garlic sizzles (don’t let it brown) pour in tomatoes and water. Add salt, basil and sugar.
Turn heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for 1½ ro 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes break down and sauce thickens. Use a fork to break up tomatoes during cooking.
Remove Thai pepper and discard.
Use a blender or immersion blender to smooth the sauce if desired. Press sauce through a mesh colander to remove the seeds if desired.
Total yield: 2 cups sauce.
Hack: 2 15-oz cans of diced tomatoes can be substituted for fresh tomatoes.
Hack: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze in serving-sized portions for up to 6 months.
Hack: If you have leftover tomatoes that are becoming over-ripe and don't have time to cook, simply puree them in the blender and freeze the fresh puree in sealed freezer bags or containers to use in recipes at a later date. No need to core, peel or seed ‘em...just toss ‘em right in. Run the puree through a mesh colander if you want to remove the seeds.