I had initially come across the 'world's best pasta sauce' several years ago, with chefs, restaurateurs, and fellow food enthusiasts hailing Marcella Hazan's recipe as the ultimate pasta sauce. This naturally remains open to discussion, but for an uncomplicated pasta sauce, it certainly delivers.
You only require three ingredients for her pasta sauce: tinned tomatoes, an onion, and some butter. A pasta dish ought to be straightforward, and you really cannot get more straightforward than Marcella's recipe.
Nevertheless, recipe developer Eleanor Wilkinson believes that introducing one additional ingredient can genuinely transform it. It is not what you would anticipate – or I anticipated, for that matter.
The Secret Ingredient: Vanilla
Her secret ingredient is usually located in the baking aisle of the supermarket. For this straightforward pasta sauce recipe, Eleanor enhances it with a vanilla pod, reports the Express.
The recipe developer previously revealed she picked up the tip from chefs in Mauritius. She explained: "This is something I learned at a vanilla farm in Mauritius. And if you did not know, vanilla is actually a spice, not inherently sweet. So whilst it seems strange, it actually adds something to the sauce that I have never tried or tasted before, and I am so excited for you to give it a go. It is delicious and interesting but still exceptionally easy. It is the sort of recipe that makes you feel like a professional chef, even if you are just cooking from your own kitchen."
And she is spot on. If I spotted vanilla listed as an ingredient in a savoury dish on a restaurant menu, I would reckon it would be rather upmarket.
The Cooking Process
The recipe itself demands very little effort; just chuck all the ingredients into a pan and let it do its thing for 45 minutes. This allows the tomatoes to reduce, while the onion, butter, and vanilla infuse the sauce with their distinct flavours.
Make sure to add water if the sauce reduces too rapidly. You will also want to save some pasta water for when you combine the pasta with the sauce. The pasta water provides the starch necessary to help the sauce coat the noodles properly.
All you need to do is split open a vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds. To ensure I get sufficient vanilla flavour, I chucked the split pod into the pan as well.
The Taste Test
As the sauce simmers away, there is no overpowering sweet smell filling the air. If anything, you would not even detect it was there. Yet when it came to dishing up... it was a completely different matter.
I am not sure what it is about Eleanor's addition, but I simply cannot stop tucking in. At first I could not decide whether adding vanilla was bonkers or brilliant. Though if I am still reaching for another forkful to examine the taste, I suppose it cannot be half bad. The vanilla combines with the butter to make the sauce even more decadent and rich, without being overpowering or cloying.
Would I incorporate vanilla into every pasta sauce I prepare from now on? Probably not. However, when you are working with such a straightforward sauce recipe, the vanilla proves a pleasant addition. It is not vastly different from introducing chocolate to a tomato-based sauce or brown sugar. Vanilla might not suit the fussiest or most discerning of diners, but I would not dismiss it. Eleanor, you may have just discovered the key to reaching new pasta perfection.
Marcella Hazan's Tomato Sauce with Vanilla
Ingredients
- One tin (400g) tomatoes (plum or cherry tomatoes are best)
- One onion, halved
- 50g butter
- One vanilla pod (or two tsp vanilla extract)
- Salt
- To serve: Two portions of pasta of your choice
Method
- Gently roll the vanilla pod to release the caviar within. Slice in half lengthways then use your knife to extract the vanilla seeds.
- Combine the tinned tomatoes, onion, butter, and vanilla seeds in a pan over a medium heat. Allow that to bubble away for 40-45 minutes, adding a drop of water if required.
- Taste and season with salt according to your preferred taste.
- Cook the pasta until just shy of al dente. Extract the onions from the sauce then transfer the pasta to the pan alongside a touch of pasta water. Stir and toss together, cooking for a final few minutes until the pasta reaches al dente.
