Magic Tomato Sauce

In our garden, the nightshades have gone into the ground, and the countdown to tomato season has officially begun. There are few things about summer that I look forward to more than the first backyard tomato harvest. In the meantime, I will continue to make great use out of a much-loved pantry staple, canned tomatoes.

From slow cooked Bolognese to zesty puttanesca, there are countless sauces that start by opening a can of perfectly ripe tomatoes. One such recipe that has garnered a cult following, is for a simple tomato sauce by the late Marcella Hazan, which makes magic out of just four ingredients. Hazan, who is credited with introducing traditional techniques of Italian cookery to the United States, is among my pantheon of personal culinary heroes. Here I offer my own tried and true spin on this effortless recipe. Once mastered, this is sure to become an essential addition to your repertoire.

Ingredients:

1 28-ounce can tomatoes, San Marzano preferred (see notes)

5 tablespoons butter

1 yellow onion

¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 bay leaf

Kosher salt

Directions:

If using whole peeled tomatoes coarsely chop them. Pour tomatoes with all their juices, butter, spices, and a pinch of salt into medium saucepan. Add a splash of water to the can and swirl around to get all the bits of tomato and pour into pan. Peel onion and cut in half lengthwise, keeping root ends connected. Add onion halves to tomatoes, cut side down.

Place pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, at a steady simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Lower heat to maintain a steady but gentle simmer. Stir occasionally. Sauce is done when the butter separates from the tomatoes and there is no remaining liquid. Discard onion and bay leaf. Check seasoning, adding more salt to taste.

Notes:

Use the best canned tomatoes you can find. Organic, imported San Marzanos live up to the hype, and are well worth the money. The original Hazan recipe calls for canned whole peeled tomatoes, and has you chop them before adding to pan. Alternatively, I have used cans of crushed or chopped tomatoes, with great results from both.

The classic use of this sauce is to toss it with spaghetti, topped with plenty of grated parmesan and fresh ground black pepper. A simple pleasure, it is also wonderful as a sauce for homemade pizza, layered in a lasagna or as a sauce for simmering meatballs. This sauce is delicious as-is, however, it can be accented with a flourish of fresh basil or chopped parsley to finish. Use it as the base for a shakshuka or try it as a dipping sauce for homemade focaccia.

A variation that I love is to use a fennel bulb in place of the onion. Use only the white part of a large fennel bulb, save the green stalks and fronds for something else. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise like the onion and follow recipe as above.

Don't be afraid of the butter. It is an essential component to the final velvety flavor. If your tomatoes are too acidic you can add a pinch of sugar while the sauce simmers.

Enjoy!