A recipe developer has revealed an unusual ingredient that transforms a classic tomato pasta sauce into something extraordinary. Eleanor Wilkinson, a cookbook author, shared her secret on TikTok: fresh vanilla beans scraped directly from the pod.
In her video, Wilkinson said: "This is the best tomato pasta I have ever made, and the secret ingredient is something everyone has in their kitchen but would never think to put in a savoury dish." She explained that vanilla is a spice, not inherently sweet, and that it adds a unique depth to the sauce.
Wilkinson's recipe is based on Marcella Harzan's legendary three-ingredient pasta sauce, which uses tinned tomatoes, onion, and butter. She simply adds fresh vanilla beans to the mix. The sauce is simmered for 40 to 45 minutes, then combined with slightly undercooked pasta and a splash of pasta water.
The video has garnered over 7,800 views and positive comments, with viewers eager to try the unusual twist. Wilkinson insists that once you try it, you'll never go back to making tomato sauce any other way.
