Mom would just make extra macaroni and stir in the tomato sauce for it.
This is my father’s comfort food.
(News to us, my grandmother was German Austrian!)
Elise Bauer
If you haven’t tried making tomato sauce with butter, I recommend it.
It’s actually crazy good.
My mother also adds a little bit of fresh or dried basil, not much, just a pinch.
Elise Bauer
Not so much that you get distracted from the sweet, buttery tomatoes.
Tomatoes are naturally acidic.
Use the best quality canned tomatoes available.
We recommend Muir Glen brand or San Marzano.
The sauce has so few ingredients, it’s important that the tomatoes you use are high quality.
Cheap, generic canned tomatoes just will not taste as good.
Add a tablespoon of salt.
Bring salted water to boil.
Cook until al dente, tender but still a little firm.
While the pasta water is heating and the pasta is cooking, prepare the tomatoes.
Shred the canned whole tomatoes with your fingers as you put them in a small saucepan.
Add any tomato juice left in the can to the pot.
Heat to a simmer and stir to melt the butter.
Simmer gently while the pasta is cooking.
Stir in sugar, salt, and pepper to taste.
If you have fresh basil, thinly slice a couple leaves and stir in.
If not, if you want you’ve got the option to add a pinch of dried basil.
When the pasta is done, drain it.
Stir in the cooked tomatoes and put in a serving bowl.
Links:
Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butteron SteamyKitchen,Smitten Kitchen, andFood 52
