Makes 2 cups sauce for 12 to 16 ounces of pasta.
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, minced fine
3-inch branch fresh rosemary
3 large fresh basil leaves, torn into several pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large clove garlic, minced
2-1/4 pounds rich-flavored small tomatoes (taste before buying), quartered and left unpeeled and unseeded
1/4 teaspoon sugar
12 ounces fettuccine, fedellini, spaghetti, or tagliatelle
6 quarts salted, boiling water
Heat oil in 12-inch straight-sided saute pan over medium-high. Add onions, rosemary, basil, a light sprinkling of salt and several grinds of black pepper. Saute onions to golden brown, stirring with a wooden spatula.
Stir in garlic, tomatoes and sugar. Boil over high heat, stirring often and scraping down the glaze forming on the sides of the pan. Watch for signs of burning. Cook about 8 to 10 minutes, or until a wooden spatula leaves a wide trail when run along the bottom of the skillet.
Take the pan off the heat, cover, and let stand 15 minutes. Then pass the sauce through a food mill set over a bowl, getting every bit of pulp possible. Taste it for seasoning. You could freeze the sauce at this point.
If serving the sauce with pasta, cook the pasta in fiercely boiling water, stirring often, until tender yet firm to the bite. Drain the pasta. Toss with the sauce and serve immediately.
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