New York Nora Ephron's Spaghetti Sauce Segreto

Hello

this is my everyday pasta sauce -I use it also as a basis for many other pasta sauce recipes. I truly love it and make it at least once a week. It is a nice, mellow all-purpose sauce and it perfectly matches a pound of old fashioned spaghetti. If you happen to have a few meatballs - throw them in... lovely... I am a big pasta lover and I have tried and tried many many simple tomatoes based sauce recipes this one I like the best... there is one I remember from the Tuscany when I was maybe 14 years - that was the very best - I have never been able to come close to it but it is just a faint memory today and maybe I will find it one day..

This recipe is from Nora Ephron's New York City Cookbook by Molly O'Neill - I am very grateful for your sauce thanks its the basics that are the hardest sometimes!!!

Alissa

Nora Ephron's Sauce Segretto from "New York Cookbook" by Molly O'Neill 

1/4 pound butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

1 rib celery, diced

1 can (35 ounces) peeled tomatoes

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes (less if you don't like it too hot)

1 tbsp sugar

1 pound spaghetti

about 1/2 cup freshly ground parmesan cheese

In a nonreactive large sauté pan, melt half the butter and all olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery and cook until onions are translucent but not browned, about 10 min.

Dump the can of tomatoes into the pan and mash with a spoon. Cook over medium-low heat until sauce starts to thicken slightly and picks up the slightly orange color of the carrots 30-40 min.

Cut the remaining butter into slices and stir it into the sauce and season.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in boiling water until tender.

In a large bowl toss cooked pasta with sauce and add parmesan, toss and serve.

Bon Appetito!!