Tomato pasta sauce

Method

1. Peel the tomatoes by making a cross in the base of each one with a sharp knife. Place them in a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave for about 30 seconds until the skin starts to split. Remove, put into iced water, then drain and peel back the skins. Halve each peeled tomato then squeeze out and discard the seeds. Roughly chop the tomatoes.

2. Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan, add the garlic and fry for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the tomatoes, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and add the bicarbonate of soda.

3. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. Pour in enough boiling water to give the saucy consistency you want, crumble in the stock cube and stir until it has dissolved. Toss in the basil.