This gets filed under the header of Things We Eat With A Spoon (all day every day that it happens to be on hand). Onions and a generous splash of wine add lovely sweetness to the sauce; and a blast of high heat at the end concentrates the caramelized tomato flavor.For spoon-eating purposes; leave the sauce as is; studded with nubs of caramelized garlic and sweet; soft onions. If tossing the sauce with pasta; spaghetti squash or shaved zucchini; consider blitzing it in a blender first. Consider making twice as much as you think you'll need; too. It will be devoured. In the mood for a spicier sauce? Try this or this.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced then roughly chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a knife
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ cup wine (white or red, whichever you have lying around -- but preferably red)
• 1 28-ounce can whole or crushed tomatoes
• Sea salt
• 1 basil sprig

In a lidded pot or deep-walled sauté pan over medium heat; add the olive oil; onion and garlic cloves. Sauté; stirring only 2-3 times; until they begin to turn golden (about 6-8 minutes -- some nice golden-brown color on the garlic cloves is ideal). Add the oregano and stir; then add the wine; stir; and let it simmer and deglaze until nearly evaporated.If using whole tomatoes; crush them with your hand (just reach on into that can and squeeze…preferably not while wearing a light-colored shirt; as these things are squirters) before adding to the pan. Add the salt; stir well and cover; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir once or twice during that time to loosen anything that’s sticking to the bottom of the pan.After 20 minutes; the flavors will be incorporated; but the sauce will be a bit watery. Remove the lid; take a taste and season if needed; and then crank up the heat to medium/medium-high. Cook for another 15 minutes; stirring regularly. If the pan starts to get a bit too dry; add some splashes of water; this will help things continue to caramelize without burning. The sauce is done when it's a) delicious! and b) cooked down to the point where you can drag a spoon through the pan and no liquid pools in its wake.We often keep the sauce chunky; but it's lovely pureed; too. Either way; store it with a sprig of basil tucked inside (it perfumes things quite wonderfully). Or; if you’re using it right away; thinly slice the basil leaves and stir ‘em on in.