Serves 4

• 2 Roma tomatoes (about ½ pound)

• ¾ pounds cherry tomatoes

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1 onion, diced

• 6 cloves garlic, minced

• ½ teaspoon dried basil

• ½ teaspoon dried oregano

• 1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning (if you don’t have this mixture, add a bit more dried basil and oregano)

• ⅓ cup water

• ¼ cup chicken broth

• ½ teaspoon sugar

• Salt

• Pepper

• 1 pound fresh or dried tortellini

• Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, for garnish (optional)

• Fresh basil, coarsely chopped, for garnish (optional)

1. Add both types of tomatoes to a food processor and briefly blend. Depending on how you like the consistency of your tomatoes in the sauce, the longer you blend the tomatoes, the smoother your sauce will be (I like my tomato sauce a bit chunkier, so I blended them only briefly).

2. Heat a skillet over medium high. As it’s getting hot, add 1½ tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet. Once hot, add the onions and cook until tender and glassy, about 4-6 minutes. Add in the garlic, dried basil, dried oregano, and Italian seasoning. Stir frequently and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.

3. Add to the skillet the chopped tomatoes, along with its juices, water, chicken broth, sugar, and salt and pepper, to taste. Stir everything together until well mixed.

4. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning to your preference. Allow the sauce to simmer and thicken for at least 20 minutes. Because tomatoes contain a lot of moisture, this step may take longer depending on how thick you like your tomato sauce.

5. Meanwhile, set a pot of water on the stove and let it come to a boil. Cook the tortellini according to the packaging.

6. Once the sauce reaches your preferred thickness, remove from the stove. Serve the sauce over the cooked tortellini. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil, if desired.

7. Enjoy!