Pasta al Pomodoro (Marcella)
Pasta with simple tomato sauce
Ingredients
- 400 g Spaghetti
- 1 tin San Marzano tomatoes (DOP)
- 1 Onion
- 60 g Butter
- 40 g Salt
- 1 bunch Basil (optional)
- 40 g Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional)
Method
- Halve the onion through the root and peel.
- Tip the tomatoes, butter, onion, and a big pinch of salt into the saucepan over medium heat.
- Simmer uncovered, breaking down the tomatoes occasionally, until thickened — about 40 minutes.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt heavily.
- Drop the spaghetti and cook one minute shy of al dente (firm to the bite).
- Reserve a mugful of pasta water, then drain.
- Fish the onion out of the sauce and discard.
- Toss the spaghetti in the sauce off heat for a minute, loosening with pasta water until glossy.
- Plate and finish with torn basil and parmigiano.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Pasta al Pomodoro (Marcella)
Pasta al pomodoro is the plainest and perhaps most perfect of Italian tomato pastas, and this rendition follows Marcella Hazan's famous three-ingredient sauce — tomatoes, butter, and a halved onion — that made her legendary among home cooks. There is no garlic, no herbs simmered in, no olive oil; the onion is added whole and fished out at the end, having quietly perfumed the sauce as it went. San Marzano tomatoes, the sweet, low-acid plum variety grown near Naples, are what make this level of simplicity possible.
Simmered uncovered for about forty minutes, the sauce thickens as the butter emulsifies into it, turning silky and faintly sweet with a clean tomato brightness that no long-cooked, garlic-heavy ragu can replicate. Tossing the spaghetti in the sauce off the heat, loosened with a little starchy pasta water until glossy, is what marries the two. Torn basil and a shower of Parmigiano-Reggiano finish it. It's the definition of an everyday Italian supper, and its restraint is exactly why generations of cooks return to it — vegetarian as written, and easily made vegan by leaving out the butter and cheese.
Pasta al Pomodoro (Marcella): frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Pasta al Pomodoro (Marcella)?
A serving has about 547 calories — 18g protein, 81.6g carbs, 16.5g fat, 5.5g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Pasta al Pomodoro (Marcella) gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Spaghetti. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
Is Pasta al Pomodoro (Marcella) dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Butter, Parmigiano-Reggiano. Swapping those for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
How long does Pasta al Pomodoro (Marcella) take to make?
About 48 minutes start to finish, but only around 9 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Pasta al Pomodoro (Marcella)?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out basil, parmigiano-reggiano — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Pasta al Pomodoro (Marcella) make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.