You'll be amazed that anything this simple could taste so good, not to mention that all this garlic—yes, two heads, not two cloves—can produce such a seasoned, mellow taste.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 3/4 hr
Yield
Makes about 3 cups (enough for 1 pound of spaghetti)
Ingredients
2
lb ripe plum tomatoes (see cooks' note, below)
2
heads garlic, cloves peeled and halved lengthwise and any green sprouts from center discarded
6
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3
/4 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Cut an X in bottom of each tomato and blanch in a large pot of boiling water 10 seconds. Immediately transfer tomatoes with a slotted spoon to an ice bath to cool, then peel, seed, and chop.
Step 2
Cook garlic in oil in a small heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, red-pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 1 hour. Season with salt.