The late Italian chef’s decades-old pasta sauce recipe requires just three ingredients and is easy to make – and it’s a healthier alternative to shop-bought sauces.
Home cooks seeking to save time on weeknight meals without compromising on taste might reach for shop-bought sauces to whip up a speedy pasta dish.
They’re budget-friendly, readily available and, crucially, packed with flavour.
However, the irresistible taste of these thick tomato sauces isn’t the result of wholesome ingredients.
Rather, additives, salt and sugar create what appears to be a convenient and delicious choice.
A decades-old Italian recipe with a remarkably straightforward approach – three ingredients, no chopping required, and supper ready in approximately 45 minutes–offers a worthwhile substitute for processed alternatives.
The late Marcella Hazan’s tomato sauce, prepared with just half a peeled onion, butter, and a can of tomatoes, has resurfaced as the most obvious alternative to sugary, jarred varieties.
Marcella, born in Cesenatico in 1924 and later a renowned New York cookery instructor and writer, documented the technique in her 1992 masterpiece, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.
The directions are as straightforward as the shopping list: add the onion, butter, and tomatoes to a saucepan, bring to a gentle simmer, and let it simmer gently.
The onion is removed before serving, creating a smooth, intensely flavoured sauce that tastes far more elaborate than it actually is.
Food website Delish previously crowned the method “the best in the world,” recognition that launched the recipe into the heart of weeknight cooking. Marcella’s husband, Victor Hazan, revealed to Epicurious that her brilliance lay in her determination not to overcomplicate things: she questioned, “Why chop an onion? Why sauté? I’m going to put the onion, tomato, and butter together and forget about it.”
The outcome is a sauce that virtually prepares itself.
The attraction lies equally in its texture and its convenience.
Butter transforms the tomatoes into a glossy, velvety sauce, whilst the halved onion imparts sweetness and fragrance without leaving awkward chunks behind.
Most home cooks find that a gentle simmer, lasting around 45 minutes, is enough to intensify the tomatoes and soften any harsh notes. Premium-quality whole plum tomatoes typically provide the finest balance of sweetness and substance.
Hardly any chefs deviate significantly from Marcella’s approach.
Mary Berry might sprinkle in a touch of sugar to counteract the acidity, whilst Nigella Lawson famously incorporates a knob of butter to achieve a luxuriously smooth texture – precisely as the Italian original recommends.
Some chefs introduce more substantial modifications, including BBC Good Food’s traditional base of chopped onions, celery and carrot for a slower-developing, more complex flavour.
Culinary writer Felicity Cloake prefers olive oil and sometimes neutralises acidity with a hint of sugar and a dash of red wine vinegar.
The recipe proves remarkably adaptable precisely because of its straightforward nature and pairs beautifully with any pasta variety.
Toss with spaghetti, parmesan and black pepper for an effortlessly elevated weeknight supper, or spoon generously onto penne for a speedy meal.
A sprinkling of grated cheddar enhances the robust tomato flavour wonderfully. Choose gnocchi for a cosy evening meal, enhanced with a scattering of torn basil leaves for an extra aromatic touch.