Marcella Hazan Inspired Tomato sauce
A slight variation on Marcella Hazan's classic, simple tomato sauce
I'm Ella, a London-based food blogger who makes cooking simple and focuses on healthy recipes. I'm passionate about helping others enjoy nutritious meals that are easy and fun to make.
Santa Anna•
April 19, 2025
Marcella Hazan's tomato sauce recipe, from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, is beautifully simple, using only four ingredients: tomatoes, butter, salt, and an onion. Since I usually make tomato sauce for pizza, I like to add a little bit more complexity in the flavor. The two key things with this recipe are: simmer for a full two hours (or more), and refrigerate the tomato sauce for 1 or 2 nights before eating it (which I can't explain, but am certain improves the taste).
Ingredients (10)
Ingredients (10)
If you have access to locally grown, in season heirloom tomatoes you can use those instead of canned ones
Instructions
Prep tomatoes
If using canned tomatoes: drain tomatoes (1 28-oz can) in a strainer for 15 minutes.
If using fresh tomatoes: blanch for 1 minute, and once cool remove skin. Then roughly chop.
If you want to go the extra mile, remove the seeds before chopping.
Make sauce
In a large pan or pot over medium heat, add olive oil (2 Tbsp), tomato paste (1 Tbsp), garlic (4 cloves), and butter (4 Tbsp). Sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until the garlic starts to turn golden brown.
With the root to one side, slice onion (1 large) through the middle (leaving the root attached). Remove onion skin, and add both halves of the onion to the pan/pot.
The onion juices add flavor to the sauce. The onions themselves will be discarded after the sauce is done cooking.
Add tomatoes, honey (1 Tbsp), red pepper flakes (1 tsp), thyme (1 tsp), and oregano (1 ½ tsp) to the pan/pot.
Reduce heat to a simmer (the sauce should be gently bubbling, rather than boiling). Simmer for 2 hours or so, stirring the sauce every few minutes (to prevent the bottom from burning), and mashing up any large chunks of tomato.
The common test for when the sauce is done simmering is the "spoon test". Run a wooden spoon in a line across the bottom of the pan/pot. If the line stays clear and the sauce does not run back into it, the sauce has thickened and reduced sufficiently.
Remove tomatoes from pan and discard. You can of course just use your sauce right away, while hot. However if you're able to plan in advance: allow the sauce to cool, then put it in a container and refrigerate it for 1-2 nights. The taste really builds to a whole other level.
This process is known as "flavor melding." During this time, the various ingredients have a chance to fully intermingle, allowing their flavors to blend more harmoniously and develop greater depth. Additionally, as the sauce cools and reheats, certain flavors can become more pronounced, resulting in a richer, more complex taste.
Optional: if you prefer a smooth sauce (rather than a chunky one), you can run the sauce through a blender or food processor for a few seconds before refrigerating.
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