Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees F.

Coat a rimmed baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Sprinkle the crushed red pepper flakes, 1 ¼ teaspoons salt and several grinds of black pepper evenly over the oil. Arrange the tomatoes cut-side down on the baking sheet, packing them tightly; some overlap is fine.

Lightly crush the garlic cloves just to crack the skins. Scatter them over the tomatoes along with the basil and thyme. Drizzle the remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil over everything and season with an additional ½ teaspoon salt and a few more grinds of black pepper.

Roast, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until the skins are very dark and wrinkled, about 1 hour. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and set aside until the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes.

Pull off and discard the tomato skins. Discard the herbs. Squeeze the garlic from its skins into a large bowl; discard the skins. Add the tomatoes and all their juices to the bowl. Use your hands or a potato masher to crush the tomatoes and garlic together into a chunky sauce. For a smoother texture, pulse the sauce in a food processor in batches until it reaches your desired consistency. Taste and season with additional salt as needed. If your tomatoes were less ripe, add a pinch of sugar at the end to bring out their sweetness. Let cool completely.

To store: This recipe makes enough sauce for about 2 pounds of pasta. Transfer the cooled sauce to ziptop freezer bags and freeze until ready to use.