• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 onions, finely chopped
• 2 cups good red sweet vermouth or red wine (taste carefully)
• 1 cup water
• 4 fresh tomatoes, or 1⅓ cups canned, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2 teaspoons thyme
• 2 teaspoons oregano or savory
• 3 bay leaves
• salt
• freshly ground pepper
• ½ cup unpitted little black olives from Nice, or pitted oil-cured Greek or Italian olives
• 2 teaspoons chopped capers
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 3 tablespoons chopped gherkins

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan, add the onions and cook slowly for 20 minutes until soft. Add the vermouth or wine and the water. Stir and boil for 5 minutes, then add the tomatoes, garlic, thyme, oregano or savory, bay leaves, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour. It should be quite thick.

Remove from the heat. Discard the bay leaves and pass the mixture through a Mouli food mill. Check the seasonings (the sauce should be pungent) and correct them if necessary. Add the olives, capers, parsley, and gherkins and cook for an additional 5 minutes.