Sometimes it's the simplest things in life that bring us the most joy, so on that basis, it makes complete sense that the 'world's best pasta sauce' is made up of three simple ingredients.
There's truly nothing more comforting than a big bowl of pasta and tomato sauce, and the good news is, you can make it when you're on a budget or your cupboards are bare and you haven't had chance to get to the supermarket.
Due to the fast-paced nature of modern life, it's no surprise that many people opt for sauces out of a jar to save on time and effort, but the truth is many of these jars are jam-packed with sugar and additives and can cost more than the ingredients themselves.
According to Italian American food writer Marcella Hazan, a good pasta sauce is remarkably simple and economical, too, meaning it's far cheaper and healthy than any store bought products.
Marcella, who died in 2013, was born in Cesenatico, Italy, in 1924 and went on to open a New York cookery school and write hugely respected cookbooks, so what she says goes when it comes to a good old pasta sauce.
In one of her books, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, Marcella advises using only three ingredients in tomato sauce: tinned tomatoes, an onion and a generous knob butter. We told you it was simple.
The 1992 recipe is still revered by food writers and cooks alike. No chopping is required. And pasta and tomato sauce is always a hit round the family dining table.
Marcella's precise instructions are to put half a peeled onion into a pot with butter and tinned tomatoes and to leave it all to simmer for 45 minutes.
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Food publication Delish dubbed the sauce "the best in the world."
Her husband Victor talked to Epicurious about her efficient methods: "Marcella was a genius when it came to taste. She had an immediate understanding about how flavour affects a dish.
"She asked herself, 'Why chop an onion? Why saute? I'm going to put the onion, tomato, and butter together and forget about it'."
Is it really the best in the world? It's a bold claim and a subjective one. But Italians are famous for their simplicity in cooking. It's all about the produce – tomatoes being one of the most important.
"No other preparation is more successful in delivering the prodigious satisfactions of Italian cooking than a competently executed sauce with tomatoes," Marcella says in her book.
Her sauce is very rich. Others favour different techniques. Jamie Oliver adds four cloves of garlic and garnishes with fresh basil.
BBC Good Food recommends starting with a classic mirepoix base (diced onions, celery, carrot), and scores of top chefs use various herbs and oils and other trickery to elevate their dishes. Anchovies are good.
Food writer Felicity Cloake suggests the more classic use of olive oil in tomato sauce. She also puts in a pinch of sugar and some red wine vinegar.
The thing to do is experiment. Garlic or no garlic, parsley or thyme or basil or rosemary, as long as the tinned tomatoes are good and there's parmesan on the table, we imagine people will be well fed.
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