Tomato Sauce

Directions

1. 1
   Pour the tomatoes and their liquid into a large bowl. Crush the tomatoes by hand until you can't feel the large pieces and the texture is like velvet. Discard andy skins and stems.
2. 2
   In a large, heavy, nonreactive saucepan, warm the olive oil over low heat. Increase the heat to moderate, add the garlic and stir until golden. (not brown)
3. 3
   Stir in 2 cups of the crushed tomatoes. When the mixture begins to bubble, stir in 2 more cups of tomatoes. Bring to a boil and continue in the fashion until all the tomatoes have been added and the sauce is boiling.
4. 4
   Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Stir in the salt and pepper and continue to simmer until reduced to 10 1/2 cups, about 1 1/2 hours longer. (The sauce can be made to this point up to 4 days in advance. Let cool and refrigerate. Rewarm before continuing.) Stir in the basil and simmer the sauce for an additional 15 minutes before using.