Genius Recipes's Notes:
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2 pounds
fresh, ripe tomatoes, prepared as described below, or 2 cups canned imported Italian tomatoes, cut up, with their juice
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5 tablespoons
butter
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1
medium onion, peeled and cut in half
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Put either the prepared fresh tomatoes or the canned in a saucepan, add the butter, onion, and salt, and cook uncovered at a very slow, but steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until it is thickened to your liking and the fat floats free from the tomato.
Ask the hotline about this step!Stir from time to time, mashing up any large pieces of tomato with the back of a wooden spoon.
Ask the hotline about this step!Taste and correct for salt. Discard the onion before tossing with pasta. Serve with freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese for the table.
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fresh, ripe plum tomatoes (or other varieties, if they are equally ripe and truly fruity, not watery)
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The blanching method: Plunge the tomatoes in boiling water for a minute or less. Drain them and, as soon as they are cool enough to handle, skin them, and cut them into coarse pieces.
Ask the hotline about this step!The freezing method (from David Tanis, via The Kitchn): Freeze tomatoes on a baking sheet until hard. Thaw again, either on the counter or under running water. Skin them and cut them into coarse pieces.
Ask the hotline about this step!The food mill method: Wash the tomatoes in cold water, cut them lengthwise in half, and put them in a covered saucepan. Turn on the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Set a food mill fitted with the disk with the largest holes over a bowl. Transfer the tomatoes with any of their juices to the mill and puree.
Ask the hotline about this step!This is THE BEST tomato sauce I have ever made, or even ever had! I have used it in all kinds of pasta recipes since I found this recipe.
By the way, I have tried to tell so many people about it, but I'm usually treated with skepticism. Oh well, my secret, their loss!!!
This is THE BEST tomato sauce I have ever made, or even ever had! I have used it in all kinds of pasta recipes since I found this recipe.
By the way, I have tried to tell so many people about it, but I'm usually treated with skepticism. Oh well, my secret, their losst!!!!
I was amazed at how delicious this was. The butter really makes this tasty. Plus it was so easy. I typically need sauces to be packed with flavor (to this end, I typically add peppers, chili flakes, generous amounts of garlic, or sausages) but this sauce is great on its own. A recipe to be repeated.
I made this a few months ago with tomatoes from our garden and I can honestly say it was the best tomato sauce I have ever tasted. I ate about three-fourths of the sauce with a spoon before it even hit the pasta. It is that good!
Today I had the great good fortune to buy local organic tomatoes for 75 cents a pound. I made Marcella's sauce in a triple batch, and I must say the aroma was heavenly. I cooked as directed, using the hot water skin peeling method, and allowed the sauce to cool before I froze it. I saved a little for dinner tonight, though. Just a wonderful recipe to know and use for the freshest cooked sauce possible.
Everytime I make this, my husband complains that it tastes like "refined Spaghetti Os." He's right; there is something "American Italian" about the taste.Just saying.
Every time I make this, my husband complains that it doesn't "taste Italian"; rather "like a refined can of Spaghetti Os"! It's true that the flavor is the one associated with American spaghetti. Good, but. . . . Maybe it would taste more Italian if it were made with fresh tomatoes from a market in Italy. Just saying.
Every time I make this, my husband complains that it doesn't "taste Italian"; rather "like a refined can of Spaghetti Os"! It's true that the flavor is the one associated with American spaghetti. Good, but. . . . Maybe it would taste more Italian if it were made with fresh tomatoes from a market in Italy. Just saying.
I made this yesterday. The tomatoes here are suffering for the heat and drought but I used fresh - I wonder if this made it thin. I also added a half a shallot. After cooking, I put everything in the pot through the food mill to make a silky smooth texture - served it on ravioli. This is a keeper recipe - delicate and compelling flavors. It reminds me of the sauce my dad would put on stuffed cabbage rolls, so that's what I plan to try it on when the fall comes around (in Nov).
Just finished a piping hot bowl of spaghetti, to which I made and added this sauce,(included a little bit of the onion - finely chopped) and some finely sliced courgettes and topped it off with lashing of fresh parmesan. Although next time am going to try with plum rather than the mix of tomatoes I happened to have in the kitchen. It was almost as good as my Nonna's ;). Delicious!
Just made this and wasn't even planning on pasta for dinner -- it sounded that good. And it was. The tomatoes were so-so but the butter really makes this sauce sing. Definitely a go-to recipe.
More genius recipes, please!
I gilded the lily and toss in a piece of Pecorino Romano rind while it was simmering. I also diced the wilted onion and added it back to the sauce. Freezes beautifully and can be the basis for anything. Great to give it away with fresh pasta and basil in a basket!
After making this sauce over the weekend, I fully understand all of the hype. It's outstanding -- by far the best tomato sauce I've ever made or eaten. So glad you highlighted it here, Kristen.
Was a little nervous about the sauce due to the lack of ingredients, but it turned out so flavorful! Like others have suggested, don't substitute oil for butter and don't toss out the onion either! This recipe will be one I'll turn to often with all the tomatoes I have ripening!
Made this last night for the first time, and I honestly can't believe how good it is. I will be spreading the word!
We have been making this for years. It's a great winter sauce, when fresh herbs aren't available. I always discard the onion. I'm not a fan of its slimy texture. Try it with potato gnocchi and parmesan cheese. It's heavenly.
I made this for the first time last night. WOW! I made Italian meatballs and pasta to go with it. (And, yes, I saved some of the onion and served that with it.) A HUGE HIT!
I've never made this recipe but it sounds wonderful. Just a few simple but powerful ingredients. I'm definitely going to try this.
My grandmother use to make homemade chicken soup and do the same thing with an onion.. She'd put the whole onion in though and then remove it just before serving.
Canned San Marzano (D.O.P.) tomatoes are excellent tomatoes for this (or any other) sauce. Several brands market them, Cento, for example. They are pricey but worth every penny.
Question about size of can to use....I bought a 28 oz. Can of San Marzano....so that's almost 4 cups? But the weight says a net of 1 lb. 12 oz. So, for this recipe, would you add just 5 TB butter or 10?
I made this on Saturday and we loved it. I served it with sauteed eggplant, veal and pasta. Terrific. But the real surprise came when I was making a new bbq sauce. I had the onion and about 1 cup of the Marcella Sauce left over. I needed 2 cups of tomato sauce (plus ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, vinegar (I used fig balsamic), herbs and spices. So, I dumped the Marcella sauce and a cup of fresh tomato from my garden (peeled and chopped) into the food processor and blended it together. Then I simmered it with the other ingredients for about an hour. Oh my. Oh my. Really good BBQ sauce! And I didn't waste that onion!
I love it: Marcella Sauce!
Can't believe I'm so late to the table with this recipe, but can't wait to make. BTW, her spaghetti carbonara is TO DIE FOR!!!!!!!
Made this today and it was absolutely fabulous. I fried some thick rings of lightly breaded eggplant so they were a little crispy (see the new Bon Appetit for tips on how to do this), grated a little cheese on top, and topped it all of with this sauce. To die for. Perfect Sunday dinner. Thanks for sharing this one!
I love this sauce! I've been making it for years. However, instead of the halved onion that gets discarded, I dice up the onion before cooking it with the tomatoes and leave it in the sauce.
Such good news!!! I have gobs of cherry tomatoes (whole) in the freezer to fix into sauce and "preserve". This will be perfect!!! Thanks so much!
My first thought after reading the reviews was, "if this is great I'm going to want to can it". When you said you plan to preserve it did you mean canning or freezing? If you meant canning how long do you think it should be in a hot water bath? Of course I'm assuming we will love this sauce as much as everyone else has.
I made this last night with some whole wheat pasta and it was great.The only problem
Was it was so good I went back for seconds.
Been making this for years. It is even good made with an 28-ounce can of tomatoes in the winter. Sometimes I keep the onion, sometimes not. But DON'T sub oil for the butter. The butter is a must in this recipe. This also freezes well.
This is one of our go-to recipes. It is truly delicious, and so so easy.
One more way to peel the tomatoes, and I think I learned this from Marcella in either one of her cookbooks or in an article. Peel it with a potato or vegetable peeler. Really works well and much easier than the methods mentioned here. .
this is our household's answer to heartbreak, celebration, comfort and love. Go-to cooking from the heart.
Wonderful, been making that sauce for quite some time, oh and I also don't discard the onion.
This has been regularly in our house for years and we never, ever discard the onion!
Genius for sure - perfection and tried and true.
Stephanie is the Head Recipe Tester of Food52.
Pure delight!
I've found this recipe at Marcella's son cookbook a long time ago. It became "THE" tomato sauce at my home, and spoilled any other tomato sauce included in some very interesting pasta recipes and other dishes using a tomatoto sauce. I finally realized I should always sub the recipes tomato sauces by Marcella's. It's fabulous and I'm so glad you shared it here!