Creamy Tomato Butter Sauce With Onions

Adapted from Marcella Hazan’s famous recipe, my creamy tomato butter sauce is made from fresh tomatoes, sweet onions and basil, blended with butter to create a natural creamy texture. Serve with fresh homemade pasta for the ultimate pasta experience. Makes ~2 quarts.

Marcella’s famous tomato sauce with butter and onions is deceptively simple and unlike any other I’ve tried. With just 5 ingredients, the taste is so light and creamy it barely registers as “tomato sauce” at all.

I’ve seen it done many different ways. But I make it Marcella’s way, with radiant, in-season fresh tomatoes (however canned tomatoes can be used too). Sometimes, I’ll swap the onion for sweet leeks because I think they’re highly underrated.

Either way, I recommend making a large batch to freeze for easy dinners. Serve with your favorite fresh homemade pasta and gnocchi or as a base for Italian-style dishes. Everyone I know goes crazy over this creamy tomato sauce!

Take Note.

Fresh tomatoes are the star: San Marzano, Roma, cherry tomatoes or a mix, as long as they’re ripe, vibrant and juicy. If using canned, the taste will be richer and less delicate. Still delicious, just different.

Butter is non-negotiable. It softens the acidity and gives the sauce its signature creamy finish without adding cream. I usually add a little sugar to further balance out the acidity, but just a pinch.

For the onion, you only need 1. And get this – you don’t even have to chop it! Just cut it in half and let it float in the sauce. I mean, it doesn’t get any easier. This recipe is mostly hands-off!

Creamy Tomato Butter Sauce with Onions

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• Author: Emilie Raffa
• Yield: 2 quarts 1x
• Category: Pasta Sauce
• Method: Stove-Top
• Cuisine: Italian
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

Adapted from Marcella Hazan’s famous recipe, my creamy tomato butter sauce is made from fresh tomatoes, sweet onions and basil, blended with butter to create a natural creamy texture. Serve with fresh homemade pasta for the ultimate pasta experience.

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Ingredients

• 1 onion, halved
• 8 tbsp. salted butter (I like Kerry Gold)
• 6 lbs. assorted tomatoes, roughly chopped 
• Small handful of fresh basil, chopped
• 1–2 tsp. sugar, plus more to taste
• Salt

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Instructions

1. Place the onion halves, butter and tomatoes in a large heavy bottom pot (a Dutch oven is perfect for this).
2. Bring to a gentle boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Add the fresh basil.
3. Simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, until all of the tomatoes have broken down and are nice and soft. This will take about 30-45 minutes.
4. Remove the pot from the heat. Puree in batches using a blender. Alternatively, use a stick blender. Strain the sauce to remove the seeds.
5. Return the pot to the stove. Taste and season with some of the sugar (start with 1 tsp) and additional salt, if needed. Simmer over low heat until the sauce is slightly reduced and creamy. The flavor should be slightly sweet.
6. Pour into mason jars to cool before refrigerating. You can always freeze the sauce in individual portions once it has cooled completely.

To Store:

This sauce will last in the fridge, up to 4 days. In the freezer, up to 3 months stored in a freezer-safe air tight container.

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