Our 10 most popular recipes for the month delivered right to your inbox!
I am looking for a real spaghetti sauce. Does anyone have one? My Mother passed away and I would love to have one like hers. It used to take 12 hours to prepare. An Italian neighbor or hers taught her how to make it and I would so love to be able to make one like my Mother's.
Me too....Hope someone posts a recipe!!!
Here is a recipe I saved off the board.
Posted by: Nancy_NJ Posted on: 7/11/2006 2:22:01 PM #R7800888 Spaghetti Sauce AKA Gravy
1 Very large pot or use 2 pots if necessary5-6 28oz cans whole peeled tomatoes (I use Tuttorosso, which those cans are larger than 28oz or Red Pack)1 28oz can tomato puree1 8oz can tomato paste5-6 cloves of garlic pressed through garlic press1/2 medium onion chopped finedash of crushed red pepper flakes crushed in the palm of your handdried oregano (I don't measure) about 1/2 tspsdried basil (I don't measure)about 1 1/2 tsps1 dry bay leafdash of sugarSalt and pepperVirgin olive oila bunch of fresh chopped parsley6-10 pcs of hot or sweet sausage or mixedBracciole, optionalPork neck bone, optionalMeatballs (recipe to follow)
Put olive oil in large pot, add garlic, onions and crushed red pepper. Add hot and sweet sausage and bracciole (if using) and brown. (note, since the garlic and onions cook right away, I partially brown the sausage & bracciole in another pan and then add them to the pot w/ pork bone (if using) and brown a bit more. In a blender crush 1 can of tomatoes, add to pot w/ sausage. Repeat w/ 1 more can in blender, add to pot and add 1 can of puree and paste. At this point add oregano, basil, bay leaf, sugar s&p then stir.
Chop the rest of the tomatoes and add to the pot, stir again. Cook on low partially covered for 1 hour or until paste has dissolved.
After one hour you will add the meatballs.
Meatballs
2-3Lbs of ground beef/pork/veal mix2-4 garlic cloves pressed thru garlic press (or as much garlic as you like)Salt and PepperGrated Pecorino Romano CheeseFlavored Bread CrumbsA bunch of chopped fresh parsley2-3 eggs
Sorry but I don't measure the ingredients.
Mix everything together. Shape a small pc of meat into a pattie and fry in olive oil on both sides. Taste test to see if you need more salt, cheese and so on. If it tastes good to you, shape into desired sized meatballs.
Brown meatballs lightly on all sides in fry pan w/ olive oil.
Once sauce has cooked for an hour and paste has dissolved, add the meatballs and stir.
I cook the sauce on a low flame all day. Taste test sauce and see if it needs more S&P or sugar.
At then end of cooking I shut of the flame and I add a bunch of chopped fresh parsley.
And that's it. Hope this all makes sense.
Taste of Home Field Editor. Blogger & Photographer. http://nutmegdisrupted.com/
Mama Mora's "Gravy" (Spaghetti Sauce)This recipe was sent to me by my then, MIL from Sturno, Italy. back then I spoke no Italian so my DH had to translate it for me. There are a couple of nuances that IMO make this recipe taste wonderful. According to what another chef friend told me, the Northern Italians use sugar to cut the acid in the tomatoes, but the Southern Italians use the seeds of the herb, "fennel", to sweeten them.Another thing that is important is to use " plum" tomatoes. Mama called for POPE brand crushed tomatoes and they are very hard to find anymore, I have been able to find a brand called, CENTO , but look for the small plum tomatoes on the label picture, those are the ones you want to use. I have used other brands of just regular crushed tomatoes and they're not as good.I also always use fresh herbs ( basil and oregano & parsley) and I use only the leaves of the herbs, never the stems. Dom interpreted the "spaghetti sauce seasoning" as dried Italian seasoning so thats what I use.Oh, and if you use the Italian sausage it already contains fennel seed, so I usually only use about 1/2 teaspoon and I smash them with a rolling pen.MAMA MORA'S GRAVYUse half ground pork and half ground veal or " Hillshire brand" Italian sausage, mild or hot. ( Gauge this by how much meat you want in the gravy, I usually use equal ammounts of all three.1 large can "Cento brand" crushed tomatoes ( just make sure they are "plum" tomatoes.2- 6 ounce cans tomato paste ( the Cento brand I found had a 12 ounce size )2 ounces olive oil6 cloves fresh garlic, minced1 sweet onion ( I use texas sweet)1 bunch, leaves only, fresh oregano1 bunch fresh basil, leaves only, mincedhalf as much fresh parsley as basil, leaves only, mincedItalian seasoning ( I use about 1 teaspoon)Fennel seeds ( I use about 1/2 teaspoon and smash them with a rolling pin)1 teaspoon paprikaMix crushed tomatoes, fennel seed, basil, parsley,oregano, paprika and Italian seasoning in large pot and simmer.Fry in the olive oil, the fresh garlic and minced onion, but do not brown, then add meat and cook till done.Strain out the meat and add to the simmering tomatoes.In the remaining grease in the skillet, add the tomato paste and cook until it changes color, then add to the simmering mixture. Simmer on low 3-4 hrs. I've been usisng a crock pot so I don't have to watch it and letting it simmer all day on low.I make all the italian dishes that call for "sauce" ie... spaghetti, ziti, lasagna, eggplanat or veal parmesan,etc... with it.NOTES: Dried herbs may be used. I just prefer to use fresh ones as I think it makes the "gravy" taste better.
I love this Foodguy's recipe for spaghetti sauce. I add browned ground beef and/or sausage - yummy!