A 3-ingredient recipe for the butteriest no-cook tomato sauce ever
-
Loading... - Jerome Makris
- 09 Jun 2022
- 265 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
Italian cookbook author Marcella Hazan, who immigrated to New York in the 1950s, is credited with introducing a broad swath of English-speaking audiences to traditional Italian cuisine. Her most famous recipe, the one people likely bring up the most in conjunction with her name, is also one of her simplest: her butter-packed tomato sauce.
The three-ingredient sauce is made with canned or fresh tomatoes, onion and butter, which are then simmered for at least an hour as it gets increasingly velvety. In my home, it's a summertime staple, especially once the "good tomatoes" have popped.
Occasionally, I want something that feels a little fresher, especially if the temperatures inside and outside of my kitchen are bordering on oppressive. That's where this no-cook pasta sauce recipe comes into play. Like other no-cook sauces, it relies on fresh-cut, juicy tomatoes to do the bulk of the work. This recipe, however, gives a nod to Hazan by incorporating grated, iced-cold butter into the mix.
When combined with warm pasta, and more importantly, starchy pasta water, the butter melts over the tomatoes and their juices, which gives the sauce a richness that is sometimes tough to achieve without ample time over heat.
If you're worried about this dish being "buttered noodles studded with fresh-cut tomatoes" (which, if we're being honest, doesn't sound too bad), have no fear. The addition of sun-dried tomato paste pushes it into fully-sauced pasta territory.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato paste (See Cook's Notes)
- 4 tablespoons very cold, salted butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Reserved hot pasta water
Optional additions:
- Red pepper flakes
- Torn basil
Directions
- Give the cherry tomatoes a rough chop and place them in a large mixing bowl. Salt them generously and allow them to rest for about 30 minutes. This will encourage the tomatoes to release their juices, which will make for a better final sauce.
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions; meanwhile, grate the very cold, salted butter over the tomatoes. Give it a gentle mix, then add the sun-dried tomato paste. If you're adding red pepper flakes or basil — both of which are optional — now would be the perfect time to do so. Read More...
