Marcella Hazan's pasta with simple tomato and butter sauce
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Marcella Hazan's famous pasta with tomato and butter sauce.
Author:
Recipe type: Pasta dish/Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: serves 6
Ingredients
  • For the sauce:
  • 2 lbs. fresh, ripe tomatoes (or 28 oz. can imported Italian plum tomatoes)
  • 5 TBSP. butter
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and cut in half
  • --- sea salt to taste
  • For the pasta:
  • 1 lb. spaghetti, farfalle or rigatoni pasta
  • --- freshly ground Parmesan cheese
  • --- fresh basil leaves
Instructions
  1. If using fresh tomatoes, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut an “x” into the bottom of each tomato. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water and cook for one minute. Remove with a slotted spoon. Peel the skins and discard them. Roughly chop the tomatoes. If using canned Italian tomatoes, cut them up as well and place them in a small bowl along with their juices.
  2. Place the prepared tomatoes in a medium saucepan, add the butter and the onion, and cook uncovered at a very slow, but steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or, until the sauce is thickened to your liking and the fat floats free from the tomato. Every now and then stir the sauce, mashing up any large pieces of tomato with the back of a wooden spoon. Discard the onion and add some salt. Taste and correct for salt if necessary (I added about ¾ tsp. sea salt and some freshly ground pepper too.).
  3. Cook the pasta in plenty of salty water, and drain. Toss the sauce with the hot pasta, add some fresh basil, plenty of freshly ground Parmesan cheese and serve at once in warm plates.
Recipe by Marilena's Kitchen at https://marilenaskitchen.com/marcella-hazans-pasta-with-simple-tomato-and-butter-sauce/