Simple Fresh Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

HERB PUREE
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
¼ cup olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts

RED SAUCE
5 pounds beefsteak tomatoes (or other juicy tomatoes), as ripe as possible
1 1/2 pounds fresh, ripe plum tomatoes
¾ cup fruity Italian olive oil
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 sprig fresh oregano
½ CUP packed fresh basil leaves
2 sprigs fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley
1 dried red Chile, crumbled
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste

Directions
1. make the herb puree Place the basil in a colander, rinse with boiling water, and drain.
2. in a blender or food processor, combine the drained basil, olive oil, pine nuts, and ¼ cup water. Puree at medium speed until smooth; set aside.
3. Make the red sauce: Dip both types of tomatoes in boiling water and place in a colander to cool. Slip off the skins, then squeeze the tomatoes over a bowl; reserve the juice. Cut the tomatoes into quarters and scoop out the seeds (or if you like a more astringent sauce, leave the seeds in). Coarsely chop the tomatoes; add to the bowl of reserved juice.
4. In a nonreactive, large Dutch oven or other ovenproof heavy pot, warm 1/4cup of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the celery, onions, and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice and the tomato paste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes. At each stirring, drizzle in I tablespoon olive oil.
5. Preheat the oven to 350' F.
6. After the sauce has cooked for 2 hours, stir in the oregano sprig, whole basil leaves, and parsley sprigs, Add the dried chile, vinegar, brown sugar, and black pepper. Transfer the pot to the oven. Cover and cook until the sauce is dense and thick, I to I 1/2hours.