“Gravy” as the Italians would have it. 
I get ideas for what to post from what people who have visited were searching for. Someone was searching for how to make tomato sauce, so I’ll give you my best estimation for a fresh pasta sauce, gleaned from Italians and the people who love them. It’s not really a recipe, it’s just a suggested method.
This being high summer, you really need to find good, fresh San Marzano tomatoes. These make superior sauce. You can tell sauce tomatoes from others because they’re usually smaller and more oval than the beefsteak type of tomato. They should have a deep, bright red color.
Wash them, trim ends, and cut in half. I prefer to gently squeeze out the seeds. I don’t bother trying to remove the skins, but if you’re particular about having skins in your sauce, you can shock the whole tomatoes briefly in boiling water and then once they cool, the skins will slip off. Or you could strain your finished sauce at the end (you might lose some garlic and other good bits if you do this, but some people prefer a smooth sauce anyway).
Mince some garlic and warm it in olive oil over low heat for 3-4 minutes. You want the oil to absorb some of the garlic flavor, but be careful not to burn the garlic. I don’t usually make my sauce with onion, but if you like onion in it, chop and saute with the garlic for another 5 minutes or so.*
Add tomatoes, a few pinches of salt, a splash of red wine, and either black or red pepper as you prefer. If you’re using dried herbs, add some now. I’m kind of a purist here, preferring only basil and only fresh basil if I can get it (which now in summer you should be able to). Oregano is a pizza and stew herb in my opinion, but if you like it in your sauce, go right ahead.
Gently simmer this for 20 or 30 minutes while you prepare the basil. Gently wash and dry the basil, removing leaves from the stems. Make a stack of leaves and roll them, then cut in thin ribbons- this is a “chiffonade.” Add to the sauce just before it’s done, and adjust the sauce for salt.
This is really all you should need to do. If your sauce seems too acidic, add a pinch of sugar or baking soda. If it’s not flavorful enough, check first for salt, then add some garlic oil if you have it, or more herbs. If you’re searching around for flavor, though, your tomatoes are probably at fault. It’s really tough to get good tomatoes these days. If you’re having trouble finding good ones, canned San Marzano tomatoes are not bad at all.
This all is assuming you want something like a jar tomato or spaghetti sauce. This time of year, I’m all for a “raw” sauce of chopped tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and basil tossed with hot pasta, maybe with some lemon juice or peel, which uses only the heat of the pasta to bring out the flavors.
*Let me mention a technique I learned from an Indian cookbook that makes highly flavorful smooth sauces. You boil peeled, quartered onions in some water and oil, then drain and puree them. You can freeze the puree in an ice cube tray and add a cube or two to a sauce. This also eliminates onion-chopping tears.
-Gina
