Tomato Butter Sauce Recipe (with Onion and Butter)

Tomato Butter Sauce is a simple and delicious recipe for making a mouthwatering red sauce with authentic Italian flavor. This recipe is one of the essentials of classic Italian cooking and pairs perfect with cooked pasta. 

If you love a good marinara sauce, then you need to give this Tomato Butter Sauce recipe a try. Made with just canned tomatoes, butter, and onions, this recipe comes together fast and is great for a weeknight dinner or whenever you need a simple red sauce. 

For more delicious sauces, try my Simple Marinara Sauce, this Sugo Recipe, or this all’Amatriciana sauce. Tomato Butter Sauce is excellent served with my homemade Ricotta Gnocchi or spooned on top of Turkey Spinach Manicotti. 

You’ll Love Tomato Butter Sauce

Tomato butter sauce is a rich, silky pasta sauce made by simmering tomatoes—preferably canned San Marzano—with butter and onion. The butter mellows the acidity of the tomatoes and creates a smooth, velvety texture, while the onion infuses subtle sweetness. 

This recipe was famously popularized by Marcella Hazan’s classic Italian recipe. One bite of this delicious easy Tomato Butter Sauce and you’ll be hooked. This is such a great recipe to have on hand for busy weeknights and comes together quick! 

This recipe is similar to classic pasta sauce but uses butter in place of olive oil. The butter adds a rich and smooth flavor and pairs perfectly with the tomatoes and onions.

It’s a great base recipe to have on hand and works perfectly tossed with al dente pasta. I love to serve it tossed with hot pasta and generous sprinkle of parmesan cheese. 

You’ll love that this recipe only needs a few ingredients and tastes so much better than anything from the grocery store. It’s a great recipe to have on hand when you need a delicious marinara sauce recipe fast! 

Ingredients

• Tomatoes: use good quality canned San Marzano tomatoes for this sauce. Other recipes call for fresh tomatoes but my quick cooking version tastes just as good with canned. 
• Butter: you’ll need about four tablespoons of butter. Use either salted or unsalted butter. 
• Onion: Marcella Hazan’s tomato sauce uses a halved onion and then removes it before serving. I prefer to dice the onion and keep it in the sauce. 

How to Make Tomato Butter Sauce

This recipe for tomato butter sauce comes together fast and only requires a few ingredients. The original recipe keeps the onion whole and removes it after cooking, but my version incorporates the chopped onion into the sauce. 

Cook Butter and Tomatoes

​In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and the diced onion. Cook just until the onion softens and gets tender. 

Add Tomatoes

​To the pot, add in a whole can of San Marzano tomatoes. I like to use the diced or pureed tomatoes but you can use the whole tomatoes. 

​Bring the sauce to a low boil then reduce to low heat and let it simmer, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. 

Once the sauce has thickened, taste for seasonings and add in kosher salt and black pepper as needed. You could even add red pepper flakes for a spicier sauce. 

Serve and Enjoy!

​You can serve the Tomato Butter Sauce as is, or if you prefer a smoother sauce, puree it using an immersion blender. Finish off with a bit of fresh basil if desired. 

Recipe Tips

Use good quality canned tomatoes like San Marzano tomatoes for best flavor. They are naturally sweet and perfect for this sauce. 

For a smoother finish, puree the cooked sauce with an immersion blender before serving. 

Let the sauce simmer gently for 40-45 minutes on low heat. Stir occasionally and mash the tomatoes as they cook to help the sauce thicken and get silky.

​Serving Suggestions