With just 3 ingredients (well 4 if you count the salt), and no need for chopping or sautéing, this Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter recipe is perhaps the purest and most simplest of all tomato sauces there is.
The technique is pretty simple too. All 3 ingredients are added to a large saucepan and then simmered for about an hour. That’s it. How simple is that? The large onion pieces are picked out at the end; it’s used to just sweeten up the sauce. And the butter…don’t be afraid of the butter because it’s what is needed to perfectly mellow out the acid in the onions and tomatoes as well as create that velvety rich texture.
This Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter recipe is adapted from Marcella Hazan, the cookbook author who famously changed the way Americans cook Italian food using classic techniques of traditional Italian cooking.
Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter
The easiest tomato sauce you'll ever make. Just throw in your favorite canned tomatoes, onions and butter in a large saucepan and let that simmer for about an hour. That's it! Simple and delicious. Recipe adapted from Marcella Hazan who is famously known for changing the way Americans cook Italian food.
Ingredients
- 5 cans (400g each) canned whole tomatoes
- 170g unsalted butter
- 3 medium-sized onions, peeled and halved
- salt
- For the pasta: 700g of your choice
- For the garnish (optional): freshly grated Parmesan and/or chopped fresh basil/parsley
Directions
- Step 1 Add canned tomatoes (with all its juice) in a blender. Blend until smooth. Do this in batches.
- Step 2 Combine tomato blend, butter and onions into a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook for about 45 minutes, making sure to stir occasionally.
- Step 3 Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Taste and add more salt as needed.
- Step 4 Discard onions before tossing the sauce with your pasta of choice (our favorite pasta choice is spaghetti). Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and/or chopped fresh basil/parsley.