Ultimate tomato sauce

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Place the tomatoes in 2 or 3 large roasting tins and drizzle with 8 tbsp of olive oil. Season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and roast for 30-40 minutes until really softened.
2. Meanwhile, gently heat 250ml olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the shallots, garlic and chillies and fry over a very low heat for 10 minutes until softened. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to infuse for 10 minutes. Sieve the oil into a jug and discard the solids.
3. Pour the infused oil into a large saucepan and set over a medium heat. Crush the tomatoes with the back of a fork and add to the oil. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, then add the vinegar and caster sugar and simmer for a further 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you have a thick, rich sauce. Check the seasoning and remove from the heat.
4. Divide the Ultimate tomato sauce into 3 equal portions and once cooled, use to make the following 3 dishes for the freezer. Alternatively, freeze the tomato sauce in 3 portions to make the following 3 dishes at a later date.

You can use this ultimate tomato sauce to make the following recipes:

Pasta quattro stagioni

Sausage and bean casserole

Spanish cod and chorizo stew