Vince’s Dad was the sauce maker in the family. Every Sunday he made sauce. We would go to visit, and Dad would always send us plenty of sauce home with us, frozen and packaged in perfect serving sizes. Every time we came, he would say, “I got a special buy on tomato sauce. You have to use X Brand of tomato sauce. That’s what makes it so good.” So here is Vince’s and my version of Dad’s recipe.
Tomato Sauce
- 4 cans of tomato sauce – Costco brand (he he – it doesn’t matter)
- 1 can of tomato paste
- 5 cans of water – 1 for each can of tomato anything
- 1-2 fresh basil leaves from the garden
- 1 bay leaf from the Costco jar I’ve had for at least 10 years – maybe more
Start it cooking, it has to cook for hours. If you put less water, you can’t cook all that water out of it. So be sure to put the water in so you have to start making the sauce at least 3-4 hours before you want to eat it.
Meat balls
- 1 pound of hamburger (I don’t worry about lean or not lean, but I don’t put the grease in the sauce.)
- 1 c Italian bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- salt & pepper ( I just do about a teaspoon)
- 1 tsp mint (secret ingredient – DON’T TELL ANYONE ELSE!)
- 1 tsp oregano (Dad didn’t use this, but I do sometimes.)
- 1 tsp basil
Smoosh them all together, roll them into balls, and you get just enough meatballs to cover a medium size pan. Fry them over a low heat until they are lightly brown on all surfaces. You can’t go off and blog for a bit while they are cooking or your husband will come in and hover over them like they are going to hatch. He might anyway because they do smell delicious.
Spoon them into the sauce trying not to splash tomato sauce all over your clean white blouse. The meatballs need to cook through and through.
Other Meat
- 1 large package of hot Italian sausage ( I used to use mild, and nobody objected.)
- Country Style Spare Ribs (I never used these, but Vince did, and he likes it better.)
Cut the sausage. Dad used to cut the sausage into small chunks because he thought that made the flavor come out better. Vince cuts them into two chunks. I’d leave them out if it was up to me. In the meatball pan brown the sausage until it is light brown on every surface then spoon them into the sauce. They need to cook for hours as well.
Next, cut the spare ribs into chunks and brown them leaving the fat on them. When they are light brown, then put them in the sauce as well. Discard the grease unless you want heart troubles. If you are taking your medicines, then go ahead and pour the grease into the sauce. I don’t.
The rest is up to father time. The meatballs start screaming at Vince after about two hours. “Get us out of here! It’s hot! I’ve been in this tomato bath long enough!” He caves every time, and stands bent over the pot with a meatball on a fork and tomato sauce dripping into his cupped hand – like no one is going to find him if he doesn’t move away from the stove! After he has eaten a couple, we cook them for another hour or two so he can replenish his appetite, and then we start the pasta.
Vince’s sister knows exactly how much pasta each person will eat, and sets the timer to the precise number of minutes. I just throw in about a half a box of pasta. Then, as if she doesn’t trust the timer, asks Vince to try the pasta to see if it is al dente. It always is. We both have left overs, so I don’t think it matters. The good news is that, to the true Italians in the family, they all THINK the pasta is better the next day. (Lucky for me – I made too much!)
Once the pasta is al dente you pour off the water, and ladle in two large spoons full of sauce and stir the pasta, which has to be Mostaccioli (I like Angel Hair pasta.) After that, you serve each person the set amount of pasta, and ask how many meatballs and other kinds of chunks they want. Cindy and I always have two meatballs. Vince has two to start with some sausage and other chunks. Spoon more sauce over the top. Completely cover the entire mixture with parmesan cheese, grated, not Kraft. Costco brand is ok. Serve with green salad or three bean salad and garlic bread. Be sure to pinch off all the little slimy skins on the garbanzo beans when they come out of the can before you add them to the salad. Plan to sleep for an hour after you finish eating the chocolate cake or homemade cookies and ice cream for dessert.
Sorry for the blurry pictures. Usually I’m in much too much of a hurry to eat to bother with pictures. I guess my hands were shaking! 🙂
Bread is less important. We only had English muffins this Sunday. Add butter and garlic and anything works! 🙂
So that’s it. You know all my secrets. You know all Dad’s secrets. You are now officially Italian, like I am. 🙂
What do you want to talk about next week?
Marsha Ingrao - Always Write 
35 responses to “Monday: Ask Marsha: Making Italian Sauce”
This made my mouth water!!!! It also made me want to cook and it is tooooooo hot.
LikeLike
awwww It just makes me want to eat. I’m doing really well on my diet. My poor body is killing me, though! 🙂
LikeLike
Nice!
My girl makes it with a can of crushed tomatoes, sauteed onions, basil and other herbs.
LikeLike
Yum. We could be there in about 6 hours. Well that would be the middle of the night here, breakfast there. Maybe we’ll wait until tomorrow. Oh wait, that wasn’t an invitation, was it?
LikeLike
As a matter of fact, you’re always welcome! 🙂
(Just give us a heads up.)
LikeLike
hahaha Thanks Guapo. I will do that. You never know. the same is true of us! We’d love to meet you and your girl. 🙂
LikeLike
Well, I had to go and ask my best friend, Mr Google, what our Australian equivalent of your tomato sauce would be. Seems it’s what we call passata. Here, tomato sauce is what you call ketchup. Can’t you just see me throwing in 4 cans of ketchup and wondering why you think this sauce is good!
LikeLike
We have ketchup, too, but that is very sweet. I would end up with sloppy joes, if I used ketchup. 🙂
LikeLike
Mmm…sloppy joes…
We call our version “meat glop”.
LikeLike
That is just what it does when you serve it on a bun – glop! 🙂
LikeLike
oh YUM!!! 😉
LikeLike
You bet. Come on over! 🙂
LikeLike
Ready or not!!!
LikeLike
Here you come! What can I get you to drink to go with your meal? I can’t wait to see you! 🙂
LikeLike
Iced tea! (no sugar for me!) 🙂
LikeLike
You got it! We have artificial – the newest stuff, Truvia. Want to try it?
LikeLike
Ha! No thanks…..just a little ice and I’m good!
LikeLike
You are good. I just finished my first workout with a trainer. Pain is a great motivator to stop eating sugar!
LikeLike
With a trainer! You go! I am in my 2nd month of yoga. The first two weeks….hard….less pain now though and I really enjoy it! p.s. I LOVE sugar. But not in my tea….and I’m trying to do better 🙂
LikeLike
Good for you, Paula. Yoga is fun. I went with a friend, and loved it. But I had two free sessions. I’ve put on about 10 pounds in the last few months, and I just need to take it off! 🙂 Wish we lived closer. We could go together! 🙂
LikeLike
We could! And it would be FUN! (and funny)
LikeLike
It would. I just got back from a walk with Sally, fixed chocolate protein shakes, and at 10:00 I’ll go have one more free training session. My legs are killing me right now. I hope it’s fun. Drinking the chocolate shake is fun! 🙂
LikeLike
I like the shake part a lot!!! Don’t do too much!
LikeLike
Too late! My legs are killing me! 🙂
LikeLike
😦
LikeLike
Sounds delish & simple enough.
Not sure I wanna’ risk going up in flames again though. The kitchen & I do NOT get along.
LikeLike
hehehe That sounds like a story waiting to be told! 🙂 Again and again! 🙂
LikeLike
Sounds (and looks) yummy -:)! On my way to taste it -:)!
LikeLike
Daniela, I’ve got your plate set out. Two meatballs or three? Sausage, pork ribs? What you would like to drink? 🙂
LikeLike
Lovely -:)! May I please have two meatballs, pork ribs and a glass of red wine -:)! I will make Tiramisu and bring it along!
LikeLike
Perfect! Here’s your wine. Let’s sit out on the patio and visit for a bit before we eat. 🙂
LikeLike
Yummo. I’m coming for dinner next time you make this.
LikeLike
You can come any time! When you bring Manny home would be the perfect time! 🙂
LikeLike
Sounds delish! Thanks for sharing. Reminds me of a childhood friend whose father was the Chief of the Fire Dept and a fab cook- he made the best tomato sauce.
LikeLike
Next to me, you mean? hahahaha 🙂
LikeLike