Campanelle with Butter-Emulsified Tomato Sauce
This is one of the simplest—and most memorable—sauces I learned while studying pasta in Bologna with Alessandra Spisni. Warm passata and butter are blended together until they emulsify into a remarkably smooth, silky tomato sauce.
Directions
1. Cook the Campanelle
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the campanelle and cook until just shy of al dente.
2. Warm the Passata
Pour the passata into a medium saucepan and warm over medium heat until hot throughout. It does not need to boil.
3. Add the Butter
Transfer the warm passata to a blender and add the butter pieces.
4. Emulsify the Sauce
Blend on high until the butter is completely incorporated and the sauce is smooth, glossy and emulsified. As the butter incorporates, the sauce will visibly change from deep red to a lighter orange-red.
5. Start with the Sauce
Add a ladleful of the emulsified tomato sauce to a pan large enough to finish the pasta.
6. Add the Campanelle
Drain the campanelle and add it directly to the pan with the sauce.
7. Finish the Pasta in the Sauce
Add more sauce as needed and toss the campanelle over low heat until every piece is evenly coated and the sauce clings to the pasta.
8. Serve
Plate the campanelle and finish with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh basil leaves.
Notes
This sauce is intentionally simple, so use good-quality passata and butter. I use Mutti Passata and Kerrygold salted butter.
I learned this technique while studying pasta in Bologna with Alessandra Spisni. Emulsifying warm tomato passata with butter produces a surprisingly smooth and luxurious sauce.
Paul's Tips
Don't overheat the passata. It only needs to be hot enough to begin melting the butter. The blender does the real work: as the butter emulsifies into the tomato, you'll see the sauce change from deep red to a lighter orange-red and become noticeably silky.