Very Tomato Sauce

• 1 cup whole fresh basil leaves, plus 1/2 cup chopped
• 1 1/2 cup fruity olive oil
• 13 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 cup water
• 5 pounds beefsteak tomatoes (or other juicy tomatoes), as ripe as possible
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh plum tomatoes
• 3 ribs celery with leaves, chopped coarse
• 2 large onions, chopped coarse
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped coarse
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 sprigs parsley
• 1 sprig fresh oregano
• 1 dried red chili pepper, crumbled
• 1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Place 1 cup basil leaves in colander, rinse with boiling water and drain immediately.
2. In a blender or food processor, place whole basil leaves, 1/4 cup of the olive oil, pine nuts, and 1/4 cup water.
3. Blend at medium speed until smooth and set aside.
4. Dip tomatoes in boiling water and place in colander.
5. When cool, slip skins off, then squeeze juice out over a bowl.
6. Reserve juice.
7. Cut tomatoes into quarters and scoop out seeds (for a more astringent sauce, leave seeds in).
8. Chop tomatoes coarse and add to juice.
9. In large dutch oven over medium heat, cook celery, onion and garlic in 1/4 cup of olive oil until onion is translucent and celery is soft.
10. Add tomatoes and tomato paste, bring to boil and reduce and simmer over low heat, partly covered, for two hours.
11. Stir every 15 minutes and each time drizzle in 1 tablespoon olive oil until remaining cup is used.
12. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
13. After sauce has simmered two hours, stir chopped basil, parsley and oregano into tomato sauce.
14. Add chili, vinegar and brown sugar.
15. Transfer pot to oven and continue cooking, covered, for 1 1/2 hours.
16. Season with salt and pepper and remove parsley.
17. Before serving, swirl in 1 tablespoon per portion of basil puree.

fresh basil, olive oil, nuts, water, tomatoes, fresh plum tomatoes, celery, onions, garlic, tomato paste, parsley, oregano, red chili pepper, redwine vinegar, brown sugar, salt

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/4147 (may not work)