Marcella Hazen's Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter

Have you met this sauce yet? Marcella Hazen's Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter. Easy, quick, delicious, and only four ingredients. Who needs jarred sauce when you can make a sauce this delicious? 

We had a lovely dinner on Sunday, sharing our table with friends, conversation, and of course some good food. One dish I made was Marcella Hazen's now-famous Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter. Just so you know all of the reviews you might have read about this sauce are simply true. It is smooth, rich, easy, and delicious!

I chose a simple meal of pan-grilled chicken, baked polenta, along with two vegetable side dishes. Roasted cauliflower and braised Swiss Chard. And of course Marcella Hazen's Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter. 

All the needed ingredients are pantry staples, making this a sauce that you will return to time and time again. And the best part is, Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter is so good, you will want to!

I have been making this sauce for a number of years now, having made it with whole tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and crushed tomatoes. And every time, it is exactly how you want it to be, flavorful, easy, and delicious. Now you might think that flavorful and delicious do not need to be in the same sentence, but I ask that you think of it this way...sometimes flavorful is not the delicious that you want or need to go along with what else you might be cooking. Because...

Sometimes the most flavorful red sauces are in competition with what you serve them with. But not this easy, flavorful, and delicious Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter! It is the perfect flavor companion to many dishes you will serve. Also, it is perfect over polenta...which is my favorite!

This sauce is so simple, I like to melt the butter, add the onion cut in half, with the cut side down. When the onion becomes fragrant I add the tomatoes and brown sugar. Bring everything to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 35-45 minutes and that is it! 

Don't you just love it when something this simple is also this delicious? 

Some thoughts on this recipe:

The type of tomatoes used will determine the cooking time, I have noticed that when using crushed tomatoes, you may not need the full 45 minutes to simmer.

So easy, just start this sauce and let it simmer mostly unattended while you complete the rest of the meal.

While the original recipe does not call for any herbs or garlic, feel free once you have the basics down, to make this your own!

Ingredients needed for this recipe:

• canned tomatoes
• onion
• butter
• brown sugar

You will also need:

• medium-sized saucepan
• kitchen knife
• cutting board
• potato masher

Now we are ready to begin!

 

Marcella Hazen's Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter
inspired by Marcella Hazen
Makes about 3 cups*

UPDATED 02.07.2022

1 28 oz can of top-quality tomatoes, whole, crushed, or diced. or 2 14 oz cans 
1 medium to large onion, peeled then cut in half crosswise
1/2 stick butter
1 T brown sugar (this is my addition, you may certainly leave this out)

Place the butter into a medium-large saucepan, over medium heat. When melted add the cut onion, cut side down. Let sizzle until fragrant, add the tomatoes and the brown sugar. 

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer for 35-45 minutes. I like to stir at 15 minutes and again at 30 minutes to check that it is not scorching or getting too thick. 

Discard the onion halves (or for the frugal-minded like myself, save it to add to your next pot of vegetable soup, just chop and put in the freezer.).

Depending upon the style of tomatoes used, for a chunky sauce serve as it, or for a smoother sauce, mash the tomato pieces with a potato masher.

Serve over hot pasta, baked polenta, or even grilled chicken.

PS Marcella says this is enough for one pound of pasta.

Storage options for Marcella Hazen's Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter. This sauce will keep three to five days covered in the refrigerator. This sauce would be perfect to make ahead and freeze. 

UPDATE:  For your convenience, a "copy and paste" version of Marcella Hazen's Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter has been included below. 

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Printable "copy and paste" version:

Marcella Hazen's Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter
inspired by Marcella Hazen
Makes about 3 cups*

UPDATED 02.07.2022

1 28 oz can of top-quality tomatoes, whole, crushed, or diced. or 2 14 oz cans 
1 medium to large onion, peeled then cut in half crosswise
1/2 stick butter
1 T brown sugar (this is my addition, you may certainly leave this out)

Place the butter into a medium-large saucepan, over medium heat. When melted add the cut onion, cut side down. Let sizzle until fragrant, add the tomatoes and the brown sugar. 

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer for 35-45 minutes. I like to stir at 15 minutes and again at 30 minutes to check that it is not scorching or getting too thick. 

Discard the onion halves (or for the frugal-minded like myself, save it to add to your next pot of vegetable soup, just chop and put in the freezer.).

Depending upon the style of tomatoes used, for a chunky sauce serve as it, or for a smoother sauce, mash the tomato pieces with a potato masher.

Serve over hot pasta, baked polenta, or even grilled chicken.

PS Marcella says this is enough for one pound of pasta.

Storage options for Marcella Hazen's Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter. This sauce will keep three to five days covered in the refrigerator. This sauce would be perfect to make ahead and freeze. 

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