Italian perfection: Monica Bellucci & the perfect tomato sauce

The utterly delicious Monica Bellucci has joined forces with fellow Italians Dolce&Gabbana to bring us the latest lust for lipstick line — The Monica Lipstick Collection. With her trademark bee-stung pout and siren status, at 47, Monica might just be a Sophia Loren for the modern era. We bet she loves a good pasta too… those trademark curves do not survive on lettuce alone!

Which brings us to this perfect tomato sauce for pasta…

This recipe has reached the giddy heights of revered classic around the food blogging world, and we have to say — like Ms Bellucci — the hype is justified. It contains four ingredients, but the butter is the secret star here. It smoothes out the acidic edge of the tomatoes, and brings the whole sauce together with a silky finish on the palate. Combined with the subtle perfume of onion, and sea salt, you could say these four ingredients are BFFs.

Perfect Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter
Adapted from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan
Serves: enough sauce for about 450 grams of pasta (approx 4 servings).

Hazan suggests imported Italian plum tomatoes, such as San Marzano (if you can get them, use them!), but any good quality tomatoes will stand in quite successfully. The key — the tomatoes must be rich, dense and full of flavour.

• 28 ounces (800 grams) whole peeled canned tomatoes
• 5 tablespoons (70 grams) unsalted butter
• 1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved
• Sea salt to taste

Combine the tomatoes, their juices, the butter, and the onion halves in a medium saucepan. Add a pinch or two of salt. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, at a very slow but steady simmer, adjusting the heat as necessary, for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free from the tomato. Stir occasionally, mashing any large pieces of tomato with the back of a wooden spoon. Taste and salt as needed.

Discard the onion before tossing the sauce with pasta.

FFF note: this sauce is perfection just as it is, or try adding some finely chopped basil and a dusting of fine parmesan to serve.

Comments

["M"]

Bellissima e Stupenda!