My Mother's Butter, Tomato, and Onion Sauce

Simple but delicious. A favorite of mine. I once took a class from Giuliano Hazan in Charlotte NC

• Sigrid

• Kansas

• 5/1/2023

INTERNET BEAR... seriously, with all due respect, what the hell is wrong with you? Have you never been to Italy? Never had a proper Italian nonna make you home-cooked food & sauces that have been in her family's spiritual heart for centuries? There is a reason Marcella Hazan is deeply respected. Because she knew what she was talking about. Good lord, have some humility. Your attitude makes me sad.

• Anonymous

• 4/4/2023

If this tastes bland or "basic" to you, you probably need more salt. Google is your friend if you don't understand why this recipe is so widely acclaimed.

• Madison

• Madison, WI

• 3/16/2023

This has been a family favorite for years. Nobody can believe that such a simple recipe with only 4 ingredients works such magic! My family requests this dish year round, and we love it every time. Thank you for sharing this wonderful sauce recipe.

• Mbcb

• Drexel Hill, PA

• 2/13/2023

The intro to this recipe, as written in the cookbook, states that it is often eaten by itself, no pasta needed. I can attest to that. For those who found it bland: did you use in season garden fresh tomatoes or canned? If you used out of season ‘fresh’ store bought tomatoes, then, yes, you’d end up with a lack luster sauce. I hope you try this sauce again with good tomatoes or jarred/canned tomatoes. Also, I have the cookbook and the original recipes states 2 cups of canned tomatoes, not 3 as stated here. Try using 2 cups of tomatoes and their juice and you should get a more flavorful sauce.

• Lynn

• Grand Forks, ND

• 9/16/2022

Sounds great and will make it. I’m wondering if some complaints could be because of the quality/ripeness ect of the tomatoes?? I could see that ruining the dish??

• Becky

• Satx

• 8/5/2022

I can’t criticize the bad reviews here after all the best of anything is the one you like. But I love this sauce. It is the one I always make. My sister-in-law is Italian and an incredible cook, not just Italian, and I like this recipe as well as anything she has ever made. You make and eat what you like and for me it is this recipe. Oh told a friend about this. His response, “best sauce I’ve ever had”.

• Phillip Black

• Upland CA

• 8/2/2022

It is a wonderful recipe we have made it for years from Hazans cookbook. it tastes like tomatoes which is the point . You can always add what ever you want. I find it refreshing that it is so clean and simple.

• theresa cross

• San Franciso

• 7/27/2022

This is a typical American italian sunday gravy. A very similar recipe was given to me by a wonderful italian grandmother (not mine, I am English). The comments about complexity are correct. It is not complex for a reason. If you have been to Italy, you would know that they use simple ingredients (not complex flavors as Americans seem to like) to make amazing flavors. The use of San Marzano tomatoes are important, I add fresh basil during cooking and on top when serving. There is nothing wrong with complex flavors, but the magic is found in the simple notes that this sauce provides. Using fresh homage pasta also makes it amazing and gets rave reviews from my friends.

• Grant Fritch

• Okemos, Michigan

• 7/27/2022

Yeah, no, zero complexity or depth here. I don't need to make this recipe to know it won't be good. No garlic, no basil, no oregano, no pepper? No wine, no stock, no balsamic, no olive oil? The butter's not even browned first? Pasta is already the most boring dish you can serve, and you want to make it even more boring with a super basic sauce that brings nothing to the table? Chef Boyardee probably has more flavor, that's another dish I won't bother eating though. ;)

• An Internet Bear who Cooks Here and There

• Chicago, IL

• 7/27/2022

I make this sauce all the time. It is my absolute favorite.

• Gracie

• PA

• 7/27/2022

This has become our favorite sauce since I started using it a couple of years ago. Simple, delicious, and versatile. Any pasta, add herbs if you want, but sometimes, simple is the best.

• Kate

• Pennsylvania

• 7/26/2022

I found this recipe so very boring unless you are serving it to three year olds, who will love it I am sure. At first glance, I thought, certainly everyone wouldn’t rave about it if it weren’t delicious right? Trust your instincts. Used San Marzano tomatoes, did everything right, was so tasteless. I was more than a little embarrassed to serve it to guests. So key point: you must doctor it with herbs.

• Anonymous

• Los Angeles

• 1/16/2022

Delicious! Huge hit in our house! The video shows removing the onion at the end before assembling with the pasta. I saved the onion and used in a separate sauce the following night, yummm! The tomato butter sauce is delicious as is but also a great launching point for adding layers of other flavors. We served topped with crispy pancetta, a sprinkle of crushed red pepper and fresh basil. I think next time I'll add cloves of garlic with the onion and some fresh oregano. Thank you for the recipe!

• sandylenox

• Tampa, FL

• 1/28/2021

Delicious and easy to make. As for what to do with the onion, I saw the video on this page where a peeled onion is halved, added to the sauce and removed when the sauce is done. Next time, I’m going to add a few cloves of garlic.

• Spyce

• Southern MD

• 1/26/2021