Roasted Tomato Sauce

I got this recipe from the book of Pasta & Co, a store/deli located in Queen Anne area of Seattle.

Make this only when you have the summer's best tomatoes and fresh basil.  Then make lots.
Allow lots of oven time.  Tomatoes must cook until they begin to brown.  This develops the full flavor for the sauce.  It may take 2 hours, but it may take at least 3 hours, depending  on moisture in the tomatoes.

This freezes well.  To serve on pasta, this works really well on penne or rigatoni, topped with lots of freshly grated parmesan or romano cheese.
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3 pounds tomatoes, as ripe as you can get them before they start to mold
1/2 cup pure olive oil
8 medium to large cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup fresh basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat to 325.
Remove stems from tomatoes.  Halve the tomatoes horizontally and place in a shallow baking dish with cut sides up.
Place olive oil, garlic, basil, salt, pepper in a food processor.  Process until garlic is finely chopped.
Pour mixture over tomatoes and bake 2-3 hours or until tomatoes collapse, becomes saucy, and actually begin to caramelize.  Stir the tomatoes now and then, breaking them up as you do.
When tomatoes have been reduced to a chunk sauce, remove from oven.  If you don't like the tomato skiins, run all or part of the sauce through the food processor.

Makes 4 1/2 cups.