Recipe from Kim Severson
Adapted by The New York Times
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- 5(11,961)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This is perhaps the most famous recipe created by Marcella Hazan, the cookbook author who changed how Americans cook Italian food. It also may be her easiest. Use your favorite canned tomatoes for this and don’t be scared off by the butter. It gives the sauce an unparalleled velvety richness. —The New York Times
Featured in: Tell Us Your Favorite Marcella Hazan Recipe
Learn: How to Make Pasta
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 2cups tomatoes, in addition to their juices (for example, a 28-ounce can of San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes)
- 5tablespoons butter
- 1onion, peeled and cut in half
- Salt
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
153 calories; 15 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 287 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Combine the tomatoes, their juices, the butter and the onion halves in a saucepan. Add a pinch or two of salt.
Step
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Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, mashing any large pieces of tomato with a spoon. Add salt as needed.
Step
3
Discard the onion before tossing the sauce with pasta. This recipe makes enough sauce for a pound of pasta.
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11,961
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Cooking Notes
Caroline
Such endless tinkering! My daughter turned me on to this. She said that its simplicity allows the primary ingredients--the tomatoes and the pasta--to shine. The onion is a whisper, not a shout (or, God forbid, a partner with garlic in a mugging). The butter, astonishingly, adds an unctuousness, a luxurious velvety taste and feel that perfectly complement the tomatoes.
If anyone else had told me this, I would have reached for my herb garden, the olive oil. But I trust her, and she was right.
TJ
I don't know why you would want to discard the onion. Eating it is one of the highlights of this dish!
anne
The recipe from the first edition of The Classic Italian Cookbook (1973) calls for 2 lbs of tomatoes, 1/4 lb butter, one medium yellow onion, peeled and halved, salt and 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar. I can't imagine why the amount of butter has been reduced from 8 tablespoons to 5 tablespoons. Stick with the original.
Steve Martin
Leave the ends of the onion intact and halve it end to end instead of at the equator and the onion will stay together.
David
Made this tonight--very good; so simple. As others said, on my own, I would have reached for basil, garlic, etc; is not necessary here.
The one thing I would add is don't forgot everything you know about pasta. So salt the spaghetti water properly, and then combine spaghetti w/ sauce in a saute pan by heating sauce in pan, adding a ladle of spaghetti water (to help it adhere), letting it come to simmer, and finishing the spaghetti in the sauce (for the last two minutes of cook time)
JimTx
Sounds good, but I'm not discarding the onion. That's the best part. I'll eat that all by itself if I have to, or puree it into its own sauce with a little roasted garlic to spread on some good bread.
michael nichols
i didn't have enough butter so added some duck fat. God help us all... BUT it was DELICIOUS.
Bill
Folks, recipes are just a guide. As I read the comments I really chuckle at how scared people are to adjust things to their preferences. If you like garlic, add some. A little more butter, why not. I have been making this over the past few weeks with fresh tomatoes from my garden, why not ? I cannot keep up with them otherwise. I have fine tuned it to my liking, half an onion sliced, clove of garlic, hint of fresh basil and oregano, and reduce over several hours at very low heat. YUM.
ET
This recipe isn't a life-changer but it's so easy and I always have the ingredients on hand. I add a healthy pinch of crushed red pepper. I think it's a little scant for a whole pound of pasta - I use one recipe's worth of sauce on half a pound of pasta. Add meatballs and it's dinner for three adults.
If you don't have San Marzano tomatoes, Cooks Illustrated says Hunts is the next best thing.
Daniel Barenberg
Just want to put it out there that the "Bianco Dinapoli" brand canned tomatoes from California are better than nearly every brand of canned tomatoes I have tried, from muir glen to various DOP san marzano brands. Best of all they are less than $4/can at whole foods. They work for pizza sauce, tomatoe sauce, and soup, all wonderfully.
CV
This recipe calls for 2 CUPS of tomatoes, not 2 pounds. Maybe that's why there's less butter.
Maria DeCarvalho
I happened to be out of onions so I used four large shallots, some of which sort of melted into the sauce. I liked it even better.
rubiconrich
I am 68 years old. Been adding sweet butter to my gravy since I was old enough to cook. Southern Italians always did this. Many also use red bell peppers as a sweetener in addition to the butter. Never use sugar or salt and never had a complaint. Of course, I simmer for 5 to 8 hours depending on what gravy I am making. By the way, butter is one step away from heavy cream. If you whip cream enough, it will turn into butter. Parmesan is bland. Romano has taste!
Molly
It's two cups of tomatoes, plus the juice/liquid. If you stran off the liquid from a 28 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes, then chop the tomatoes, you will end up with roughly 2 cups tomatoes and one cup juice/liquid from the can.
Lizy
Identical to this recipe and also listed on NYTimes Cooking is Mark Bittmanʻs Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onions. I made a triple recipe the other night so I could have extra for another meal. It was fabulous, and, interestingly, the smell reminded me of Pepeʻs in New Haven where four generations of my family have enjoyed pizza!
Pia
Or immersion blender!
Rob R
I've made this sauce multiple times. It's my family's easy, go to recipe. I typically use an immersion blender to incorporate the onion into the sauce.
Jim
I’ll be in the minority by saying I totally do not get the rave reviews. I made it exactly according to instructions and it was decent, but pretty bland.
Jen Dickey
This is my FAVOURITE pasta sauce! So easy and soooooo delicious - love using it in an eggplant parm, or just tossed on some pasta!
Wendy
Simplest of Marcella's recipes and so delicious. As she says, cook it her way the first time and then make changes, if you want. Her food is wonderful.
PaulM
Not so sure about some of the statements about the source of this recipe. The 14th edition of Pellegrini Artusi's book (originally published in 1891) has a recipe "#86 Maccheroni alla Napoletana II", pretty much the same.
NYTA
Stop talking just perfect
KT
Yes, you can make a different sauce with all manner of additions, but the beauty of this sauce is its simplicity and flavor. I make it frequently and my family loves it.
dawn duffy
i also save the onions and my husband makes sausage & peppers a few days later. i keep some onions in the sauce because we love them!
Bob D
Has anyone introduced a Parmesan rind? Or am I coming late to the party??
Nathan
I don't really eat marinara sauce, but I tried this. It is solid. But only if you know how to cook the pasta and finish it in the sauce. The only thing I would change would be to cook longer with pan open to get more reduction.
David
Followed the exact recipe to get a baseline for the flavor… and I must say, I’m shocked this is so popular. There are equally simple recipes that have so much more flavor and complexity.
Andrea
My only fault with this perfect recipe is that it says to discard the onion before serving. The soft, buttery tomato-ey onion is the most delicious onion you’ll ever have. I look forward to eating it every time!
Richard X
"Discard" doesn't always mean to put it in the trash. In this case, it simply means it has no further use in this recipe.
Suzanna
Chop the onion in the end and add it to your meatball mix!
Rose
This simple recipe is delicious. It is a Must Try!
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