Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter

Name: Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 6 Servings
Ingredients: 2 pounds fresh, ripe tomatoes, blanched, peeled, and roughly chopped, OR 2 cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, cut up, with their juiceu2028; 5 tablespoons butteru2028; 1 medium onion, peeled and cut in halfu2028; saltu2028; 1 to 1u00bd pounds pastau2028; Freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese for the table

By Leslie Blythe Italian, Pasta, Sauce, Vegetarian Simmering

February 18, 2021

My friends Jennifer and Heather reminded me of Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter recipe. It’s one of the simplest, sweetest most delicious tomato sauces. It takes only 5 minutes to prep and then simmers on the stovetop. She recommends using it on gnocchi, spaghetti, penne or rigatoni.

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 55 mins
Yields: 6 Servings

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh, ripe tomatoes, blanched, peeled, and roughly chopped, OR 2 cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, cut up, with their juice 

5 tablespoons butter 

1 medium onion, peeled and cut in half 

salt 

1 to 1½ pounds pasta 

Freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese for the table

Directions

1Put either the prepared fresh tomatoes or the canned in a saucepan, add the butter, onion, and salt, and cook uncovered at a very slow, but steady simmer for 45 minutes, or until the fat floats free from the tomato. Stir from time to time, mashing any large piece of tomato in the pan with the back of a wooden spoon. Taste and correct for salt. Discard the onion before tossing the sauce with pasta. Serve with grated Parmesan.   

Note

1May be frozen when done. Discard the onion before freezing.

2Recommended pasta:

3This is an unsurpassed sauce for Potato Gnocchi, but it is also delicious with spaghetti, penne, or rigatoni.

Recipe by Marcella Hazan, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.

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