Sugo di Pomodoro, Cipolla e Burro

This is Marcella Hazan’s famous 3-ingredient sauce of tomatoes, onion, and butter. In reality, most people add other things like salt, pepper, and basil leaf. This is easy to make because you don’t even have to chop the onion, but it does have to cook for 45 minutes, mostly unattended. Our family prefers the Sugo Fresco di Pomodoro and the Sugo di Polpa di Pomodoro.

1 (28-oz can) Cento San Marzano tomatoes (not the organic variety)

1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and cut in half

5 Tbl. butter

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Basil leaf, to taste

3/4 lb. De Cecco Spaghettini or other macaroni

Grated Pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano, to taste

1. Add tomatoes, removing any big stem ends. You can also squeeze the tomatoes as you add them. Add all the juice from the can.

2. Add the butter.

3. Add the two halves of the onion, face down.

4. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Start boiling the water for the macaroni.

6. After 30 minutes of cooking the sauce, add salt and pepper to taste.

7. Ten minutes before the sauce is done, cook the macaroni in the water for the time on the box, minus 2 minutes.

8. Right before the macaroni is done, remove the onion from the sauce and discard. Optionally blend the sauce with an immersion blender if you don’t like any chunkiness.

9. Check final salt and pepper.

10. Drain the macaroni and transfer it to the sauce, along with the basil leaf, for the last 2 minutes of cooking. Save some of the water and use it in the final cooking to keep the pasta from getting dry.

11. Serve with grated Pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano.