Marcela Hazan's Spaghetti with Cherry Tomato Butter Sauce {One of my Favorite Pasta Recipes}!

This pasta dish is simple and outstanding and is very much inspired Italian culinary Queen Marcela Hazan. It is hands down one of my all-time favorite pasta dishes!

Marela's recipe calls for canned crushed tomatoes, butter, and an entire onion (removed after cooking). This version has the same ingredients but a few tweaks to make the dish more to our liking.

All you need is pasta, preferable a long noodle like spaghetti, fettuccine, or linguini. Then you'll need a stick of butter, a diced onion, some cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper, and some herbs for garnish.  You'll also need some pasta water but that comes later in the recipe.

The main flavor component of the dish is going to come from the cherry tomatoes. Try to find the best you can. The recipe calls for 36 ounces of halved cherry tomatoes, but we just like a subtle tomato flavor so I use about 12 ounces of tomatoes.

You can see how the butter, onion, and tomato melt together to make one creamy savory sauce. This process takes about 20-25 minutes. After you've cooked your sauce about 10 minutes, you can add the pasta to the boiling water. Once the pasta is one or two minutes less than al dente (it will finish cooking in the sauce) YOU NEED TO BE SURE AND SAVE ABOUT TWO CUPS OF PASTA COOKING WATER to finish the dish! The pasta cooking water is what brings the sauce and the pasta together and makes the final dish creamy and delicious. DO NOT FORGET THE PASTA WATER!

This is a very simple and insanely delicious pasta dish! Do not underestimate how delicious this is! This is the 4th time I've made it and people inhale it each and every time. The pasta is so sweet and savory with a subtle flavor from the tomato and onion. It is buttery and delicious and really hits the comfort food spot. Plus, it can be made in about 30 minutes and is perfect for weeknights. This recipe is going to be a top favorite dish of the year for me and one that I cook on repeat in my kitchen. We love it!

Spaghetti with Cherry Tomato Butter Sauce

Adapted from Marcela Cucina

Serves 6-8

1 pound spaghetti, fettuccine, or linguini

1 stick of butter

1 medium onion, diced

36 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved*

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley

1/4 packed cup basil, hand torn

2 cups reserved pasta water

Notes: I have made this dish about 4 times now and it turns out differently each time, depending on the tomatoes. Some tomatoes are sweeter than others and juicier than others. I like to use only 12 ounces of cherry tomatoes. In lieu of using fresh cherry tomatoes you can also use cans of cherry tomatoes. It is crucial to reserve the pasta water to thin the sauce and help the sauce adhere to the pasta. Pasta water is also crucial for leftovers to keep them from drying out.

In a large pan saute the onion in butter over medium-low heat until soft (about 5 minutes) then add the tomatoes. Season the tomatoes initially with a teaspoon of salt. Cook the sauce over medium heat for 20-30 minutes (stir frequently and lower heat if scorching) or until the cherry tomatoes have burst and softened and the butter has completely blended in with the tomatoes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the sauce is almost to your liking begin boiling the pasta to 1 minute less than al dente. A few minutes before the pasta finishes cooking add 1 cup of pasta water to the sauce and stir to combine. Continue to cook the sauce over medium heat. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Cook until the pasta is just al dente then turn off the heat and season to taste with more salt and pepper as required. Add the herbs, toss once more, then plate. If the sauce is at all dry, add more of the reserved pasta water a few ounces at a time to loosen it up. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

 Welcome Marcela Hazan @ IHCC!