Marcella Hazan's Tomato Sauce

This wonderful tomato sauce came to my attention via an unlikely source: King Arthur Flour's blog Flourish. I had to investigate since this wasn't Chocolate Peppermint Snaps or Vermont Oatmeal bread, though both are amazing. According to KAF, Marcella's legendary recipe has been around for years and we soon learned the reason for its staying power. Only five ingredients–tomatoes, butter, onion, salt, sugar–are needed. And, though a bit of time on the stove top is required, the process is beyond simple. You'll discover a rich tomato flavor that stands alone without beef or garlic or oregano for support. Please do not doubt. Just try.

We doubled the recipe and find the amount of sauce works well with a pound of spaghetti. Admittedly, we're a piggy family of four. If there are leftovers, they're reserved for the thermos the next morning, per instruction of the youngest piglet. You can increase or decrease proportions as needed for those at your table.

Ingredients
2 (28 oz.) cans San Marzano whole tomatoes
10 tablespoons butter (Yes, ten. No, we aren't picky about salted or unsalted)
2 small-ish or 1 large onion, peeled and left whole
2 tablespoons sugar (tomatoes can be very acidic, but adjust according to preference)
2 teaspoons Kosher salt

Add all the ingredients to a large saucepan and place over medium to medium-high heat. Let the sauce come to a simmer, allowing to gently bubble for about 15 minutes. By then, butter will be melted and  tomatoes will have softened, so it will be easier to crush the whole tomatoes. Use a potato masher or even a pastry blender to crush tomatoes. Let simmer for another 45 or so minutes. Sauce should have thickened nicely. Discard onion.

Cook pasta in well-salted water (generous 1 or 2 tablespoons added to water). Once pasta is drained, place back in the pasta pot, add a few ladles of the tomatoes sauce, and combine well. Serve with additional sauce on top and as much parmesan as desired.

Photography courtesy of Elisabeth Heissner

Roman Pantry Pasta

Some recipes instantly belong the first time they appear at your table. This pasta dish is that kind of recipe.

Adapted from The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison, it's very simple. The only ingredient you may not have on hand is fresh parsley. It must be said though that fresh parsley is essential. Honestly, it doesn't take more than a few minutes to rinse it off and place it in an old jam jar filled with water to live in your refrigerator. Over the next week, you will find being greeted by the bright green bouquet especially cheery. And if you bump into it several times a day, you won't forget to use it for other things. I've been reading lately about parsley's nutritional powers (high in vitamin K and antioxidant vitamins A and C) which makes me love it even more.

Finally, a thank you to Elisabeth Heissner for her photography and keen design eye, which was a huge help in refreshing this blog for the new year!

Ingredients

16 oz. spaghetti

1/3 cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (depends on how much heat you’d like)

½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley (a fresh bunch, not dried)

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

½ cup panko breadcrumbs

Toast the breadcrumbs in a small frying pan. Let them get a nice even shade of brown, but take care not to let them burn. They transform from healthy brown to burnt in the blink of an eye. Set aside.

Warm the oil with the garlic and pepper flakes in a large sauté pan over medium heat.  As soon as the garlic begins to color, remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of well-salted water (a good 1 tablespoon) according to the directions on the box. When spaghetti is cooked, save small amount of the pasta’s cooking water (¼ cup)before draining.  Then, drain the spaghetti, shaking off any excess water.  Return pasta to the pot and pour the garlic, red chili flakes, and oil over it, tossing well with tongs. If the pasta seems dry, add a little reserved pasta water. Add parsley and Parmesan cheese, tossing well. Taste for salt & give a few generous grinds of pepper. The last step is to add the breadcrumbs and give everything one last toss.

Serve with extra Parmesan and black pepper if desired.  If cold outside, serve on a nicely heated plate.