Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onion

I love recipes like this which are so very simple that you can throw them together at the drop of a hat, and yet they end up tasting like you have taken a great effort to put them together.  I guess it is the simplest things in life which bring me the most pleasure.   I don't think cooking has to be complicated in order to taste good.   I don't really enjoy jumping through a bazillion hoops to get to where I want to be and that goes for cooking too!  I did enough of that when I was working.  Now simple and tasty will do it for me.

That's why when I saw this recipe in my cookbook entitled "Genius Recipes" by Kristen Miglore, I just knew I had to make it.  In fact this is the recipe on the cover of the book, and this is the recipe which tempted me into buying the book in the first place.

And I am ever so glad I did because all 100 recipes in the book are spectacular.    I highly recommend this book to anyone, and no, I did not get the book for free and I am not being paid to say so.  I quite simply love this book.

And this simple and delicious recipe is the perfect example of the deliciousness on it's pages.  Attributed to Marcella Hazen originally, it perfectly exemplifies the genius of putting together simple ingredients in a perfect way with the result being optimum deliciousness!

Three simple ingredients . . .  fresh (or tinned) tomatoes, butter and onions . . . a trinity of fabulous flavours which just meld together in this recipe to make the most delicious tomato sauce ever.

It needs nothing else, bar some seasoning . . . it's just perfect the way it is.   None of the flavours overwhelm the other  . . .  and yet  . . .  when you are eating it . . . each tantatalizes your mouth  . . .  yep . . . there is butteriness . . .  and rich tomato . . .  and the perfect sublety of onions.  Nothing smacks you in the face, but they all work together in complete harmony, one with the other.   A grating of Parmigiano Reggiano on the top and it was good to go.

*Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onion.*

Serves 6

Printable Recipe

I adapted this recipe for one which was found in a cookery book which I love entitled Food 52 Genius Recipes.  It's a simple sauce with BIG flavour.   Whoever said that it was the simple things in life which mattered most was right!

480g canned imported Italian tomatoes, cut up with their juice (2 cups)

(alternately you can use 2 pounds (900g) fresh ripe tomatoes, blanched, peeled and cut into chunks)

70g butter (5 TBS)

1 medium onion, peeled and cut in half

salt

1 to 1 1/2 pounds pasta, cooked, for serving

Fresh ground black pepper

Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, for serving

Put the tomatoes into a large saucepan.   Add the butter, onion halves and some salt.   Bring to the boil, then reduce to a very slow simmer and cook for about 45 minutes, or until it is to your preferred thickness and the onion has imparted it's flavour to the sauce.  Stir occasionally breaking up any large pieces of tomato with the back of a wooden spoon.  Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.   The recipe says to discard the onion, but I kept it in and just mashed it into the tomatoes.  (It was good.)  Toss with your cooked pasta.  I used whole wheat spaghetti.  Serve with the freshly grated cheese.

This was TOTALLY delicious.  A new favourite!   You can also see the original recipe here on Food 52. 

You know it really is the simple things that taste the best.  I could eat this until it comes out my ears.  Bon appetit!