Dice all tomatoes into chunks, set half aside. Put other half in blender and pulse until chopped or pureed (your choice).

Heat medium saucepan over low to medium heat and add tomato puree, bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile, dice the onion, then mince the garlic and pepper (Use a fork to hold the pepper in place!) Add onion, garlic, and pepper to tomato puree as you go. Simmer together for about 15 minutes, or until the sauce deconstructs a bit more and turns a bright red.

Add the other half of the chopped tomatoes to the pot. Return to a simmer, and stirring occasionally, simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until most or all of the water has evaporated and desired consistency is reached.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Let salsa cool completely, then mix in the fresh lime juice and the cilantro & serve!

*If you don’t like your salsa to be kind of pinkish in color, you should skip the blender and just cook it for about twice as long on the stove, stirring occasionally. The pink comes from blending the tomatoes!