Marcella Hazan's Legendary Tomato Sauce

If you've never heard of Marcella Hazan then you need to find one of her cookbooks. She was known as the "godmother of Italian cooking" here in the United States, and although she passed away in 2013, she lives on through her recipes. This one is a keeper because it's easy and delicious! If you are feeling nostalgic, at the end you can add a quart of chicken or vegetable broth and turn it into a delicious tomato soup. Just drizzle a little pesto on top and add a grilled cheese sandwich!

Recipe adapted from www.thekitchn.com

Ingredients

• 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, no salt or herbs added, or 2.5 lbs of fresh sauce tomatoes
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small white onion, peeled and cut in half
• Kosher salt

Method

1. If using fresh sauce tomatoes, cut an X in the bottom and blanch in boiling water for 5 minutes. Cool and then the peel should come right off. Core the top and remove as many seeds as possible (if desired). You can always just leave the skins on and use an immersion blender later to make it smooth.
2. Place 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes or the peeled and seeded fresh tomatoes, 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 halved small white onion, and a pinch of kosher salt in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
3. Lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, stirring and crushing the tomatoes lightly with the back of a spoon occasionally, until droplets of fat appear on the surface of the tomatoes, about 45 minutes. Remove and discard the onion.
4. Serve over hot pasta with grated Parmesan cheese and ground black pepper if desired.