This buttery tomato sauce, inspired by Marcella Hazan, couldn’t be easier to make, and you most likely have the ingredients in your pantry. You will need a Vitamix or other high-powered blender, so if you don’t already own one, this recipe may be the reason to add one to your cart the next time you’re at Costco.
If you read a lot of food blogs, you know all about Marcella Hazan’s tomato sauce. Everyone has their version, but the one I like best is found in Alana Chernila’s “The Homemade Kitchen,” with a few tweaks here and there. The butter adds a sweet richness that helps cut the onion. You could add a few cloves of garlic, but I keep it simple and stick to the basics: tomatoes, butter, onion and salt.
And, oh my … this is soooooo much better than anything you’d find on the shelf at the market.
Make a batch or two this weekend to stash away in the freezer. You’ll never look at jarred tomato sauce again!
- 1 28-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 6 tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
- Combine the tomatoes and their juices along with the onion and butter in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low.
- Cover and simmer for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once the sauce has thickened, carefully transfer it to a high-powered blender and pulse until smooth.
- Add salt to taste.
- Serve immediately, or freeze.
Whether you’re topping pasta or pizza, here are a few of my favorite sauces. Enjoy!
Roasted Tomato Sauce
Pistachio Pesto
This is really foolproof and does freeze beautifully. I have served it over braised meat as well as pasta.