Marcella Hazan's 3-Ingredient Tomato Sauce with Pasta
Marcella Hazan's 3-Ingredient Tomato Sauce with Pasta
Ingredients
For the Tomato Sauce
- 2 cans whole peeled tomatoes, (28 ounce each)
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
- 2 yellow onions, medium, halved
For Serving
- 1 pound pasta, such as pappardelle or tagliatelle
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more for serving
Instructions
- 1
Pour the contents of both cans of whole peeled tomatoes into a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Add the 1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter and the 2 halved yellow onions to the pot.
⏱️ 2 min
- 2
Place the pot over medium heat and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low, ensuring the sauce maintains a very gentle simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the onions to soften.
⏱️ 75 min
- 3
Carefully remove the softened onion halves from the sauce and discard them (or save them for another use, as they are quite flavorful).
⏱️ 1 min
- 4
For a smoother sauce, use an immersion blender to blend the tomato sauce directly in the pot until it reaches your desired consistency. Alternatively, you can leave it chunky for a more rustic texture.
⏱️ 2 min
- 5
Taste the sauce. At this point, it should be incredibly flavorful even without salt. Set aside while you cook the pasta.
⏱️ 1 min
- 6
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until it is al dente (slightly undercooked), reserving about 1 cup of the starchy pasta cooking liquid before draining.
⏱️ 10 min•🌡️ 212
- 7
Using tongs, transfer the al dente pasta directly from the boiling water into the simmering tomato sauce. Add the 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon of salt (or to taste).
⏱️ 2 min
- 8
Add a small amount of the reserved pasta cooking liquid, starting with 1/4 cup, and stir well. The starch from the pasta water will help emulsify the sauce and make it cling beautifully to the pasta. Add more pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed to achieve a desired consistency.
⏱️ 2 min
- 9
Toss the pasta and sauce together until thoroughly combined and the pasta is evenly coated. Serve immediately, garnished with additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
⏱️ 1 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Marcella Hazan's 3-Ingredient Tomato Sauce with Pasta
Ingredients
For the Tomato Sauce
- 2 cans whole peeled tomatoes, (28 ounce each)
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
- 2 yellow onions, medium, halved
For Serving
- 1 pound pasta, such as pappardelle or tagliatelle
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more for serving
Instructions
- 1
Pour the contents of both cans of whole peeled tomatoes into a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Add the 1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter and the 2 halved yellow onions to the pot.
⏱️ 2 min - 2
Place the pot over medium heat and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low, ensuring the sauce maintains a very gentle simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the onions to soften.
⏱️ 75 min - 3
Carefully remove the softened onion halves from the sauce and discard them (or save them for another use, as they are quite flavorful).
⏱️ 1 min - 4
For a smoother sauce, use an immersion blender to blend the tomato sauce directly in the pot until it reaches your desired consistency. Alternatively, you can leave it chunky for a more rustic texture.
⏱️ 2 min - 5
Taste the sauce. At this point, it should be incredibly flavorful even without salt. Set aside while you cook the pasta.
⏱️ 1 min - 6
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until it is al dente (slightly undercooked), reserving about 1 cup of the starchy pasta cooking liquid before draining.
⏱️ 10 min•🌡️ 212 - 7
Using tongs, transfer the al dente pasta directly from the boiling water into the simmering tomato sauce. Add the 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon of salt (or to taste).
⏱️ 2 min - 8
Add a small amount of the reserved pasta cooking liquid, starting with 1/4 cup, and stir well. The starch from the pasta water will help emulsify the sauce and make it cling beautifully to the pasta. Add more pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed to achieve a desired consistency.
⏱️ 2 min - 9
Toss the pasta and sauce together until thoroughly combined and the pasta is evenly coated. Serve immediately, garnished with additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
⏱️ 1 min