I love cheese ravioli with a simple, creamy tomato sauce, and not just because I love pretty much anything involving tomatoes and cream. It just feels like the right combination, the cream mellows the tomato so it doesn’t overwhelm the cheese in the ravioli.
Thing is, I didn’t really have a go-to creamy tomato sauce… dum dum dum dum… until now! Enter Marcella’s favorite sauce re-interpreted (recipe below). Just as easy as the original but a bit smoother and, of course, creamy (because that’s the whole point).
• Tomato & Cream Sauce •
interpreted from Marcella Hazan’s Famous Sauce
A 28oz can crushed or pureed San Marzano tomatoes, I like this brand
2.5 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted, either is fine)
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and halved
1/4 cup (approx) heavy cream
Salt to taste (pepper too, if you like)
Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. You don’t need to cut the butter into pieces, just bung a piece from the stick righ in the pot. Bring the sauce to a simmer then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Remove from heat, discard the onion, stir in the heavy cream and add salt to taste. Add more cream if you like it lighter. That’s it!
Serve with cheese ravioli (if you like) and with some grated pecorino or parmesan too.
