Tomato sauce with onion and butter

The Taste of Cambridge is coming up this week, an annual event in Harvard Square where dozens of the area’s restaurants get together to benefit charity and provide samples of their creations. Sounds like an advertisement but it’s really an enjoyable event and a great place to chat with some of the staff as well. I volunteered for the event last year and have to say that it’s definitely worth the effort to attend, I had a blast (and will be going this year too)! Some of my favorites were Craigie on Main, Formaggio Kitchen, East Coast Grill, and Henrietta’s Table.

I’ve been constantly amazed at the different ways to prepare tomato sauce, all under an hour. And they’re all subtly different which keeps the pasta from getting boring. Add that together with something like a sausage or chicken parm and you’ve got a great meal right there. I want to experiment sometime and prepare enough sauce for several meals and just concentrate on putting a different meat on each plate (cooking smaller portions). Could be interesting, who knows?

Tomato sauce with Onion and butter

Recipe adapted from Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Italian Cooking
Time: 45 minutes
Serves : 4

Ingredients:
– 28oz Can of whole Italian plum tomatoes
– 4 tbsp butter
– 1 medium onion, halved
– 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method:
1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onion for about a minute, flat side down.
2. Add in the butter and then the tomatoes. Turn heat to medium high.
3. Crush the tomatoes against the side of the saucepan with a wooden spoon.
4. Simmer for 40-45 minutes.
5. Serve with freshly grated parmesan or romano cheese.