A simple marinara sauce is always nice on a lighter pasta such as angel hair , whereas the "SUNDAY GRAVY" below is what we grew up on, both in New Jersey & in New York City......& was still called by that name on Staten Island, N.Y. by my 84 year old cousin who recently passed away.
Simple Marinara Sauce
1 -# 10 can whole tomatoes (San Marzano or Cento....)
1/4 cup fresh parsley (Italian flat leaf) finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil finely chopped
1 small can of tomato paste
2 tablespoons of salt
6 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon pepper
1 large onion , finely chopped
1/8 cup red wine
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil
Add tomatoes and paste.
Allow it to come to a simmer.
Add the basil and parsley
Allow to simmer for 15 minutes, then add the red wine, salt and pepper.
Let the sauce simmer for another 30 minutes. Makes 10 cups.
You can puree the sauce with a hand held mixer or puree in a blender......or not.
Sunday Gravy
4 pounds plum tomatoes , nice ripe ones
1 large can tomato paste (18 ounces)
1 large can crushed tomatoes (29 ounces) (San Marzano, Cento or Contadina)
2 pounds Italian sausage hot or sweet
2 pounds pork neck bones (or pork spare ribs)
2 pounds of meatballs
2 pounds pork tender loin (we always had Bracciole beef rolls in our gravy)
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
4 big cloves garlic
Crushed red pepper to taste
One tablespoon oregano
Small bunch of fresh parsley
Preparation
In a very large stock pot add olive oil and brown all your meat.
Remove the meat .......
Add garlic to the pot with the tomato paste and brown.
OUR FAMILY ALWAYS BROWNED THE GARLIC IN WITH THE TOMATO PASTE MUST BE SOUTHERN ITALIAN STYLE.......
Add tomato sauce with 5 cans of water, plum tomatoes and heat to boil.
Add oregano, chopped parsley, crushed red pepper to desired hotness, salt & pepper to taste.
Bring to a boil and reduce flame to low.
Add the meat back to pot and cook for about four hours. *********
Serve gravy with meat over your favorite pasta, ravioli, manicotti or what ever you desire.
My father's Italian family always called it gravy, we never called it sauce.
Sauce is marinara. This is SUNDAY GRAVY.
Makes approximately 12 servings.
IN LITTLE ITALY NEW YORK CITY BACK IN THE 1940'S & 1950'S THIS IS THE SUNDAY GRAVY ONE WOULD FIND IRRESISTABLE AS THE SMELL WAFTED THROUGH THE TENEMENTS plus THE HOMES OF ALL THE OLD ITALIAN GRANDMAS MAKING THE SUNDAY GRAVY FOR AFTER SUNDAY MASS AT CHURCH ............
MY FAMILY ALWAYS HAD BEEF BRACCIOLE (ROLLS TIED WITH STRING) ALSO IN THE SUNDAY GRAVY...... BUT THAT WOULD TAKE MORE WORK PLUS ANOTHER RECIPE. I ALWAYS LOVED THEM .
CONTINUED TO MAKE THEM WHILE RAISING OUR FAMILY.
AS KIDS WE ALWAYS CALLED IT GRAVY, JUST LIKE THE ELDERS..
THE PASTA WAS NOT PASTA...........IN THOSE DAYS IT WAS JUST MACARONI........NO MATTER WHAT FORM IT TOOK.
SUNDAY WAS ALWAYS A DAY OF REST...........AS NO STORES WERE OPEN. NO SHOPPING, ETC..........
JUST SUNDAY MASS, then SUNDAY DINNER WITH SUNDAY GRAVY.......
I KNOW MANY OF YOU HAVE THE SAME OR SIMILAR MEMORIES.
THOSE WERE THE DAYS.......