In 1991, sundried tomatoes and truffle oil were sweeping the nation, and red sauce, that old reliable, had fallen from favor. Enter this brightly flavored sauce from Nora Ephron, who gave it to The Times that year, saying, “You can only put up a sun-dried tomato front for so long.” This sauce, a weeknight mash of plum tomatoes, carrots, celery and onion, is given a silky depth with a substantial amount of butter. Serve it over pasta with a good crusty loaf to sop up the leftovers.

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks salted butter
  • 1 medium-size onion, diced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1 rib celery, diced
  • 4 pounds fresh plum tomatoes, cored and peeled or four cups canned Italian tomatoes
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Grated parmesan for garnish
  • Nutritional Information
    • Nutritional analysis per serving (24 servings)

      83 calories; 7 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 0 grams protein; 20 milligrams cholesterol; 199 milligrams sodium

    • Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

3 cups

Preparation

  1. In a large frying pan, melt one stick of butter and cook onion, carrot and celery about 10 minutes, until onion is translucent. Add tomatoes and mash with spoon. Cook over medium-low heat about 30 to 40 minutes until sauce starts to thicken slightly and picks up slightly orange color of carrot.
  2. Cut remaining butter into slices and whisk into sauce. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Serve sauce over spaghetti.

65 minutes

Dining and Cooking