Mario Batali's Basic Tomato Sauce

Some of the reviewers at the FN site don't like this sauce because of the inclusion of 3 T. of chopped fresh thyme in the recipe. I love thyme and I loved this sauce, not finding the thyme overpowering at all.

I used this sauce in making Spaghetti and Meatballs from the January 2009 issue of Gourmet. I liked it enough that I will be looking for other uses (pizza sauce maybe or in a baked pasta dish). Next time I will also put the tomatoes through the food mill as I'd like to try it with a smoother texture. I found the flavors in this sauce surprisingly subtle...in a good way. Guess I always think of Batali as a very robust flavor kind of guy.