Calling all Italians and Italian wannabes: Post your favorite redsauce recipe here

[Barb F. PA in AZ]

If it's your grandma's or your husband's grandma's, that's even better. I have a wonderful recipe for quick sauce using canned, peeled, organic tomatoes, but I want the type of recipe that simmers all day and makes the house smell yummy.

Read? Set! go!

Barb

[JFS in IL]

My Italian in-laws call it that (I do call it sauce, not having a drop of Italian blood in me!). No - they have not shared a recipe.

[Karenciavo]

My husband is 1/2 Sicilian and 1/2 Roman, apparently the Sicilian side is the one that cooks because they don't write down recipes or measure. :rolleyes: But my favorite sauce of his is something like this:

Chopped tomatoes
Tomato puree (28 oz?)
chopped vidalia onion
garlic cloves
olive oil
orange juice
basil
oregano
red pepper flakes

Sometimes he adds crumbled up spicy italian sausage. Saute the garlic and onion and then add everything else. Cook for a while.

P.S.: My dh and all his family, even those from Italy, call it sauce not gravy.

[mrscopterdoc]

My husband's family is Italian too, Northern Italy and they say sauce not gravy. My mil has not been so kind as to share her sauce yet but dear hubby makes a quick sauce.

tomato sauce
butter [real, and a nice size chunk]
italian seasoning [dried]
splash of olive oil
any fresh herbs you have on hand

warm it up and there you go. very simple and very fast.

[Tutor]

My Italian in-laws call it that (I do call it sauce, not having a drop of Italian blood in me!). No - they have not shared a recipe.

Hee hee! I was thinking the same thing. I thought all Italians called it gravy. We Irish call it sauce. My dh makes our gravy 'cause, well, I'm Irish and it just isn't the same when I make it. He won't tell me what's in it, but that's mainly because he can't. He just tosses in what tastes good while he's cooking.

[Citrusheights5]

In a bit of olive oil add about a 1/2 teaspoon of cracked peppers (I used the kind that comes with pizza), and fry up. Add 1/2 onion chopped, 2 garlic cloves. Add meat if you are using.. Now I add 2 cans of whole (or diced or crushed lol), tomatoes, 1 can of sauce, and 1 can of paste. 1 tsp of oregano, 1 tsp of basil, (and usually 1 tsp of Italian seasoning) , 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp of salt, a bit of pepper. Add either 2 tsp of brown sugar or 1 tbsp of refined sugar. Now add 1/2 - 1 cup of water (depending on how long you want to simmer it.)

[strider]

I cook by feel, and I cook a HUGE pot at a time, so I don't really have amounts.

Combine ground beef and Italian sausage--brown.

Add a whole head of garlic, plenty of onions, tons of mushrooms, maybe a green pepper if you have one.

Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes. Sometimes I use crushed tomatoes in place of some of the sauce.

Add a plentiful dash of red wine, 2-3 tablespoons of sugar, a shake or two of cayenne (it does NOT make it hot when you use the right amount--it just wakes up the other spices a bit), and TONS of basil and oregano. Oh yeah, and a bay leaf or two.

Cook it for about two hours, or all day, or somewhere in between. :-D Just cook it a lot. It should have a thick, chunky consistency.

Serve with garlic bread--here's my totally amazing garlic recipe :

For every stick of butter, add a minced clove or two of garlic and a tablespoon of basil OR oregano. Marinate together a couple hours. Spread on bread and sprinkle with salt. Lightly sprinkle with parmesan. Bake at 400 till lightly browned.

[Tracey in TX]

My Italian in-laws call it that (I do call it sauce, not having a drop of Italian blood in me!). No - they have not shared a recipe.
DH almost left me when I called it "spaghetti sauce". It is called GRAVY! (as opposed to the southern flour and water substance :))

I make a rockin' gravy, but eyeball all ingredients. It requires constant taste testing. Suggestions: carmelize garlic, onion, s&p first. Add whole tomatoes--and squeeze to desired size in hand. (much TLC required for appropriate taste) Red wine to add a richer flavor

to decrease acidity: small amount of sugar OR one jar carrot baby food.
Add meatballs and/or brichole (sp).

I've never written recipe down, so it's weird visualizing the process.
Good luck..and SALUTE!

[JFS in IL]

my Italian in-laws hail from the arch of the boot of Italy - poor Southern Italians. My mil is half Italian, half Irish, and married a 100% Polish guy whose folks hailed from a dirt-poor section of Poland. If there is no Italian sausage available, kielbasa is an acceptable substitute here with pasta.:rolleyes:

[M&M]

my Italian in-laws hail from the arch of the boot of Italy - poor Southern Italians. My mil is half Italian, half Irish, and married a 100% Polish guy whose folks hailed from a dirt-poor section of Poland. If there is no Italian sausage available, kielbasa is an acceptable substitute here with pasta.:rolleyes:


Dh is half Italian and I am African American and I cannot imagine pasta with Kielbasa! :eek:

[mull-berry-ish]

... she is not Italian. She married one. Her recipe follows ... the key to the sauce is the three-hour simmer time. Here goes:

2 lbs. Italian sausage
3 cans tomato sauce (with equal parts water)
1 can tomato paste (with equal parts water)
1/2 chopped onion
parsley flakes
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp garlic powder

Brown sausage, drain. Add onion and saute. Add garlic powder, parsley flakes. Add tomato sauce and tomato paste plus equal parts water (4 cans). Simmer approximately 3 hours. Add water to desired consistency. Taste for salt and pepper.

(Edited) HINT: If the sauce is tasting "tinny," add a little sugar.

[Barb F. PA in AZ]

Thank you everyone! Now to save all the responses and play around with the ingredients :)

Barb