Heat the olive oil in a cast iron or heavy-bottomed pot over medium to low heat.
Add the chopped garlic and chilli flakes to the olive oil and cook until fragrant, about two to three minutes. If the garlic starts to brown, reduce the heat slightly. You just want to infuse the olive oil with garlic flavor.
Pour the crushed tomatoes into the pot. Give the sauce a good stir. Place the lid on the pot and leave it slightly ajar to allow steam to escape, and bring the sauce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Serve immediately, or let the pot sit on the stovetop, with the lid slightly ajar, for 4 hours to develop a deeper richer flavor.
Notes
Recipe Notes
This recipe doubles well.
It doesn't matter what brand of crushed tomatoes you use, especially if you let the sauce sit for four hours after cooking. I've had great luck with fancy Italian and generic grocery store brands.
Increase the garlic and/or chilli flakes to suit your taste. With a young child, I go a bit easy on both.
Storage
I like to store my homemade tomato sauce in a large glass jar. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to five days or up to two months in the freezer. If freezing glass jars, ensure the sauce has cooled completely and leave a good amount of headspace at the top of the jar for expansion.