How to Make Marcella Hazan's Tomato Sauce DOING it NOW, GOT an onion!!!

[elleng]

Last edited Tue Jun 25, 2024, 09:59 PM - Edit history (2)

It's COOKING!!! I added salt, as my butter is unsalted.

Family returning from beach, and they may be surprised, tomorrow/Thursday - daughter's birthday! so another gift for her! new pasta!!!

Smelling GREAT! Think it's too late for pasta??? 11 p.m.

Have a bunch of toms, not tasty enough for sandwich or salad.)

Place six large tomatoes (about 2 pounds), a yellow onion peeled and cut in half, and 5 tablespoons of salted butter in a pot. (I don't have salted butter.) Because peeling and coring tomatoes is annoying, I don’t and it’s so good all the same. And if the tomatoes are frozen, I don't defrost them either as you can see in the image below. If using unsalted butter, I add 1 teaspoon kosher salt.

Every time I've made this tomato sauce, I've thought: Maybe I should add garlic, basil, black pepper, or a little pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. And when I do, I regret it afterward. This recipe is best with just the ingredients it calls for. The sweet onions and the fat from the butter are simply a magical match for the tomatoes.

Set the pot over medium-low to low heat. Slowly cook uncovered for about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours until the tomatoes and onions fall apart when poked with a spoon as shown in the image below. If starting with frozen tomatoes, I cover the pot with a lid for the first 30 minutes to help move the process along.

Though I could stir it occasionally, there’s honestly no need to babysit this sauce. I’ve walked away to do chores around the house with a timer set. On low heat, the bottom has never burned.

The original recipe calls for removing and discarding the onion from the sauce. I never do this. Since I don’t skin or core the tomatoes and prefer my sauce smooth, I stick an immersion blender into the pot to blend the tomatoes and onions. The resulting sauce is thick and deeply flavorful. No wonder this is the only recipe I'll ever make.

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/marcella-hazan-tomato-sauce-7962977?

[The Roux Comes First]

1. Just Like Her Book Says!

[badhair77]

2. This is fascinating and I'm going to try it.

I don’t know if I can deal with not coring the tomatoes but I’ll definitely leave the skin. I love that there are only 3 ingredients. I can’t wait to taste it. Thanks for sharing.

[Mme. Defarge]

3. Can't be topped!

This is standard fare in my household.

[mahina]

4. whoa, that is a lot of butter.

I bet it is yummy. Was just looking at her cookbook thinking who I should give it to.

[Bmoboy]

5. We use canned San Marzano tomatoes

Same recipe, no need to peel tomatoes.

[Warpy]

6. While you don't absolutely have to core and peel the tomatoes

you do need to check in a mirror after dinner to make sure you don't have a piece of peel stuck between your two front teeth.

I just learned and tried a better way of peeling and coring tomatoes a shockingly short time ago, and I've tested it and it works. You core the tomatoes, cut them in half crosswise, and squeeze out the seeds and slime, Then you take the tomato halves skin side up and use a grater to remove the flesh from the skin. It's an amazingly quick procedure and less cumbersome than that boiling water method with the whole tomatoes.

I wish I'd figgered this out years ago.

Any skin in the sauce will be tiny, too tiny to get stuck in your teeth and make dinner guests queasy every time you smile.

[elleng]

7. JUST had it, for Br/Lu/DI!!!

Not bad, so now know how to do it (even tho I have no 'fancy' implemets.) Used tricolor rotini.