I couldn’t resist the sauce any longer and to be honest, I don’t know why I even tried. Food bloggers have become obsessed with it, and they’re usually reliable when it comes to recipe selections. Five years ago, Adam from Amateur Gourmet fell in love with it. More than two years ago, Molly from Orangette couldn’t stop raving about it, with a bonus seal of approval from Luisa at Wednesday Chef. Rachel Eats also fawned over it, and Rachel currently lives in Rome – a city where you can find an authentic, perfect tomato sauce in countless places every day. However, she decided to make this sauce at home instead, and that sealed the deal.
According to the recipe, you only need butter and the juice from cooked onions to turn a two-pound can of tomatoes into a silky and indulgent mixture. It evokes the flavor of ripe and sugary summer tomatoes, but with a taste more appropriate for the colder months when canned tomatoes are more commonplace. What’s even better is that you can whip it up using ingredients that are likely already in your pantry, perfect for those of us with short attention spans who spend our days with monkeys.
Rewritten:
One year ago: Clementine Cake and Mushroom Bourguignon
Two years ago: Chicken Caesar Salad
Three years ago: Cauliflower and Brussels Sprout Salad and Leek and Mushroom Quiche
Butter and Onion Tomato Sauce
Serves 4 people as a main course and produces sufficient sauce to lightly coat approximately 1 pound of spaghetti.
Ingredients:
– 28 ounces (800 grams) of canned whole peeled tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
– 5 tablespoons (70 grams) of unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, medium-sized, peeled and halved
Salt, to taste
In a heavy saucepan (best suited for 3-quart capacity), put the onion, tomatoes, and butter and place them over medium heat. Allow the sauce to simmer, then reduce the heat to maintain a slow and steady simmer, for roughly 45 minutes or until the tomatoes release droplets of fat. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes with a wooden spoon against the pot’s side. Remove from heat, take out the onion, add salt to taste (depending on whether your tomatoes are already salted or not) and keep it warm while preparing the pasta.
Serve alongside spaghetti, with or without grated parmesan cheese for added flavor.
* I enjoyed it so much that I decided to make it again the next day. However, I only had a can of tomato puree on hand. Surprisingly, it turned out just as well, despite having a slightly smoother texture. As the tomatoes are already broken down, you’ll need to simmer it for a bit less time.
