In the realm of Italian cuisine, few things are as iconic and versatile as a hearty, flavorful Italian gravy. This robust sauce forms the foundation of numerous pasta dishes, and its versatility extends to various meat, seafood, and vegetable preparations. Whether you're a seasoned home cook or just starting to explore the culinary world, mastering the art of Italian gravy opens up a world of delicious possibilities. Join us as we delve into the secrets of creating the perfect Italian gravy, providing expert tips, essential ingredients, and step-by-step instructions to guide you towards culinary success in your kitchen.
Here are our top 15 tried and tested recipes!
SUNDAY GRAVY (REAL ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE)AND MEATBALLS
Sauce the way mamas in ital make it--meatballs that melt in your mouth. If I was on death row this is what I would want! God's honest truth! PLEASE PLEASE use it for Recipe #73939--it's amazing.
Provided by Bri22
Categories Sauces
Time 3h10m
Yield 16 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- SAUCE: Heat oil in large heavy pot (use a seasoned pot if you have one). Place the pork in the pot and brown until just about cooked. Transfer pork to plate. Do the same with the sausage and transfer to plate. Leave fat in pot. Add whole peeled garlic cloves cook until tender. Put garlic on plate with meat and stir in tomato paste until "saucy". Chop up tomatoes leaving the tomato juice in the cans (I use my chopper) and add them to the pot.
- Then add 1/2 of one can of the juice to the pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the meats and garlic to the sauce and bring to a boil. Turn down to low and cook for about 1 1/2 hours. Leave the sauce on low and remove all the meat and garlic cloves.
- Mix all ingredients for meatballs and shape into balls. Add to sauce turn up just a little higher than low and let cook the raw meatballs until they are done (1/2 hour) THATS IT!
- Now this is an old recipe, but I have seen it in the sopranos cookbook and this is a bit different.
- I used this sauce to make the ziti al forno from the sopranos cookbook (Recipe #73939) and it was the most amazing thing I have ever eaten, so I posted that too.
ITALIAN SAUSAGE GRAVY AND BISCUITS
Here's a simple sausage gravy with an Italian flair that's served over hot biscuits.
Provided by Classico
Categories Trusted Brands: Recipes and Tips Classico® Pasta Sauce
Time 25m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink, following cooking instructions indicated on the packaging. Add diced onions and continue to cook until onion softens and turns transparent. Drain fat.
- Stir in the Alfredo sauce, sage and black pepper. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Serve over fresh biscuits and top with green onion.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 492 calories, Carbohydrate 44.4 g, Cholesterol 34 mg, Fat 26.9 g, Fiber 2.9 g, Protein 18 g, SaturatedFat 8.1 g, Sodium 1842.7 mg, Sugar 6.7 g
ITALIAN SUNDAY GRAVY
Cher in Texas, Riffraff, and Bratty 1 have inspired me to post this recipe. It is a very humble dish and is usually my Sunday dinner. It is the Sunday dinner of many Italian-Americans. I know there are probably a million ways to make this dish--please give my version a try.
Provided by Richard-NYC
Categories European
Time 3h45m
Yield 8-10 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- Heat oil in very large Dutch oven.
- Add garlic and onions and saute until soft.
- Add tomato paste and stir to combine.
- Add crushed tomatoes and spices.
- Stir bring to boil, lower heat to low--cover and simmer.
- Meanwhile combine all meatball ingredients (except for flour and oil).
- Form into balls about 2-1/2 inches in diameter.
- Dredge meatballs in flour.
- Fry meatballs in oil in skillet a few at a time until browned on all sides (not necessary to cook through they will cook in the sauce) Add fried meatballs from skillet directly to simmering sauce.
- Stir and bring sauce back to a simmer.
- Cover.
- Place sausage in pot and cover with water.
- Bring to a boil and boil about 5 minutes to remove some of the fat.
- Brown boiled sausage in skillet.
- Place browned sausage in simmering sauce.
- Bring sauce back to simmer---cover and continue simmering for 2 hours over low heat---stir occassioanlly.
- Remove meatballs and sausage from pot and place on serving dish.
- Toss sauce with cooked pasta--You will have enough sauce to coat two pounds of cooked pasta.
- This freezes very well!
AUTHENTIC ITALIAN AMERICAN MARINARA SAUCE/ RED GRAVY
If you are Italian, or were lucky enough to grow up with some, this is the red sauce that you knew. you may have called it "gravy", or "red sauce". whatever you called it, you loved it. it is a marinara sauce, and look for my meatball recipe, as this is what you should be cooking them in.
Provided by An Italian Jew
Categories Sauces
Time 4h20m
Yield 46 CUPS, 46 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Rough chop onion and garlic.
- Heat up a large pan on medium heat.
- Pour in all of olive oil.
- Dump in onion and sauté until soft.
- Add garlic, bay leaf, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Stir all together into a mess and continue to cook, if it seems to hot, turn down the heat, you don't want to burn anything.
- Once everything is well mixed and cooked, turn up the heat for about 1 minute. I tell you to do this as you are about to add the balsamic vinegar to "deglaze" and you will want the pan hot.
- Add balsamic, stir quickly while hot steam rises. the vapors should make you eyes water, and nose run, so be careful to remain hygienic. when vapors stop remove from heat.
- Open all the cans of crushed tomato.
- Stir in one can at a time with wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
- Once all cans are in, stir well again so you don't see any oil on the top of sauce. return to heat. Cook on low heat uncovered, stirring whenever you walk into the kitchen for some other reason. You don't need to stir it every hour, but do it whenever you get around to it. although you do need to stir it from time to time.
- Cook for at least five hours. If you want to do this while you go to work, you can transfer everything to a crock pot, but you must start in a big metal pot. Your choice.
- Serve over your favorite pasta, or use to cook my meatball recipe, which is highly recommended ( look at the reviews). doing my meatballs is particularly easy if you have transferred gravy to a crock pot, but if you do you may need to remove some sauce to fit the balls in the sauce.
- Freeze left over sauce, just pour cooled sauce in zip-lock bags and throw in freezer.
ITALIAN GRAVY
This recipe is a homemade spaghetti meat sauce that has been passed down to 4 generations of Sicilians. The recipe has been altered by each person to fit personal preference and taste. Fresh tomatoes can be put in the place of the puree but not recommended, due to the high acidity of the fresh tomatoes.
Provided by Carla R. Bure
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Gravy Recipes Pork Gravy
Time 5h45m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic until lightly browned. Place pork shoulder in pot, and pour in 1/2 cup white wine and 3 cups water. In a small bowl, combine oregano, parsley, thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1/4 of spice mixture over pork. Cover, and cook for 30 minutes turning occasionally. Add water periodically if needed.
- Pour in tomato puree. Fill cans with water, and pour in (about 6 cups). Stir in remaining spice mixture and the sugar. When liquid starts to bubble, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 4 to 5 hours. Stir occasionally, and adjust seasonings to taste.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 411.3 calories, Carbohydrate 19.4 g, Cholesterol 96.8 mg, Fat 22.1 g, Fiber 3.2 g, Protein 32.3 g, SaturatedFat 7.1 g, Sodium 794.4 mg, Sugar 11.6 g
ITALIAN GRAVY
Provided by Food Network
Categories condiment
Time 7h55m
Yield 18 to 20 pints gravy
Number Of Ingredients 33
Steps:
- Cover the bottom of a 10 quart pot with olive oil and set over medium heat. Add short ribs, oxtails, country style spare ribs and beef neck bone and brown them with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon granulated onion, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Cook until both sides of meat are browned. Remove meat to a bowl and set aside. In the same pan add the sausage and ground beef. When ground meats are cooked through, drain grease and oil from pan. If there are any large pieces of the ground meats, break them up or pulse in a food processor. Add to bowl with other meats, set aside. Pour 1/4 cup olive oil into pot and saute onions, Italian parsley, garlic, shallots, jalapeno peppers, and pesto. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic and 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion. When onions are limp, add all of the reserved meats. Over medium heat, add 2 cups red wine. While this mixture is cooking, in a separate saute pan, add 1/4 cup olive oil and over medium heat saute mushrooms. Raise heat to medium high and add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 granulated garlic, 1/2 teaspoon sugar. When mushrooms are browned add them to meats along with the tomato puree, tomato sauce and stock. In a food processor pulse stewed tomatoes with tomato paste until smooth and add them to the pot. Add allspice, Italian seasoning, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, 1 teaspoon granulated onion. The gravy must cover the meat and come close to the top of the pot. Reduce heat to the lowest simmer and cook uncovered for approximately 4 to 5 hours. Stir occasionally to keep from sticking to the bottom of the pan. When meat on oxtail is tender, take all of the whole meats out of the pot, leaving the ground meats in. To complete gravy, add 1 tablespoon granulated garlic, fresh basil and cream sherry. Serve the meat with gravy and pasta. Remove the rest of the gravy from the heat and let cool for 2 hours at room temperature then divide into pint containers and freeze.
ALL DAY ITALIAN SUNDAY GRAVY RECIPE - (4.3/5)
Provided by NailCandy
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Dice the onion and 5 cloves of garlic. Chop your basil and set aside. Put your ground beef/pork/veal in a big bowl. Add salt, pepper, a little bit of oregano, 1/2 cup of cheese, and egg. Put you slices of bread in a cereal bowl can cover with milk. In a large frying pan saute 1/2 of your onions, 1/2 your garlic and 1/2 your basil in 2 tablespoons of evoo. Slow and low here, do not burn your garlic. Saute until onions are translucent approximately 15 mins. When done add to your bowl of meat. Set aside pan to cook meats in a bit. Squeeze out half your milk from the bread and add to meat. With your hands mix your meat mixture together for about 5 mins. Get it good and mixed up. Set aside. Time to start the sauce. In a BIG sauce pan add another 2 tablespoons of evoo, saute the rest of your onion, garlic, basil slow and low. When onions are translucent add 3 cans tomato sauce and 1 1/2 cans water (don't worry water will cook out over the next few hours. It will not water down your sauce.) Add your oregano leaf and sugar stir and simmer sauce on med low heat. Time to brown your meatballs. In your frying pan add about one inch of oil. Roll your meatballs out by hand med to large size. Brown meatballs on both sides. Do not have to cook them all the way through. They will finish cooking in your sauce and add flavor to the sauce by not cooking through. You will have to do this in batches most likely. Once finished browning add to the sauce. In same pan you cooked the meatballs brown your chops. Add them to your sauce. Now brown your sausage links in same pan. Cut browned sausage links into pieces and add to sauce. Time to deglaze your pan all the meats were cooked in. Drain excess oil from the pan. Put the empty oily pan on med heat. Pour wine in pan once hot. The pan will smoke at first. This is okay. Simmer for a couple of mins until the alcohol has cooked off. Now pour this into your sauce. Let your sauce simmer on low heat for the next 3 hours. During this time you will have fats rise to the top. You can skim most of the fat off if you choose. I stir it all back in for this is where a lot of your flavor comes from. Sauce close to done. Time to cook pasta. Cook your pasta al dente for about 11-12 mins. Drain then toss with some of your cheese to the sauce will adhere to the pasta better. Remove pork chop bones ( you will prob have to look for these because the fell of the chop) Place pasta on a big serving platter or bowl. Spoon sauce over pasta. Top with parsley and additional cheese. Put extra sauce in a separate bowl and place on the table for quest to add extra if they choose. Serve with a loaf of bread and butter and enjoy.
SWEET ITALIAN SAUSAGE WITH RED GRAVY AND PASTA
This is one of my husband's family's recipes. It's simple and doesn't require much prep time, especially if you use a food processor to cut the onion and celery. Seasoning amounts are approximate, though I don't recommend shorting the sugar. The gravy (I would call it sauce, but the family insists on "gravy" ) should be sweet and basil-heavy to complement the flavors of the sausages.
Provided by foxfyre
Categories Spaghetti
Time 1h5m
Yield 10 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Warm olive oil in a skillet over medium heat while dicing onion and celery. Sauté vegetables until onions turn clear. Remove from heat.
- In a large pot (6 qt or larger, I use an 8 qt stock pot) over medium-low heat, combine tomato juice, tomato paste, water, diced tomatoes, onion, celery, sugar, and seasonings.
- Heat gravy to a boil (shouldn't need to raise heat above medium) and add sausages; boil for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Prepare pasta according to package directions and drain. Spoon a small amount of gravy over pasta (in its own pot) and stir gently to help prevent sticking.
- Serving size is roughly a cup of pasta, one sausage, and about 3/4 cup gravy.
SAUSAGE ITALIAN GRAVY
Make and share this Sausage Italian Gravy recipe from Food.com.
Provided by andypandy
Categories Lunch/Snacks
Time 1h15m
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- In a large saucepot over medium heat saute the onion in the olive oil.
- Add garlic and continue to saute.
- Add sausage meat and brown slightly on all sides.
- Drain off any fat.
- Add thyme, tomatoes, salt and pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the basil.
- When sauce is bubbly, reduce heat and cover.
- Cook for at least one hour.
- Add the remaining fresh basil leaves the last fifteen minutes.
- Serve on cooked soft or firm polenta with extra romano cheese sprinkled over the top.
HOMEMADE ITALIAN RED GRAVY
A tradition homemade red gravy should be made with meat, specifically pork and veal. I use pork and veal neck bones for added flavor. Instead of sugar and water, I use a little more tomato paste than usual plus Chianti and minced onion. Fresh herbs are vital to the outcome of the flavor, so throw away any of your dried herbs, they're crap. I also use grated cheese, it's a nice touch, especially if you're using the sauce for pasta. (Note: The amount of meatballs depends on how much meat you use and how big you make them. I use a little over a pound of meat and that usually translates to 8-16 meatballs.) VARIATION: Instead of frying neck bones, and if you have more time on your hands, you can braise a couple of good pork and veal shanks in red wine and let them soak in the sauce.
Provided by brru25
Categories Sauces
Time 4h20m
Yield 20-25 cups, 40-50 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Cook meatballs in 2 tbsp olive oil, set them aside, keep leftover oil.
- Add remaining olive oil to left over oil from meatballs.
- Sautee onion for 5 minutes on medium heat.
- Add pork and veal neck bones, continue cooking for 3 minutes.
- Add garlic and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
- Stir in cans of tomatoes one at a time, wine, herbs, salt and pepper.
- Cook on medium-high until the sauce boils, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 hours, stirring frequently.
- Add cheese and meatballs and continue simmering for another 2 hours, stirring frequently.
- Remove and discard neck bones and bay leaves.
- Adjust seasoning to taste.
ITALIAN GRAVY W/ CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE
Make and share this Italian Gravy W/ Chicken and Sausage recipe from Food.com.
Provided by Chicagoland Chef du
Categories Meat
Time 4h
Yield 12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- In a deep pot:.
- Cook sausage until no longer pink, breaking up into pieces. Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel.
- Add olive oil to pot, sautee onions, garlic, celery and carrot until tender.
- Add tomato sauce and puree, chicken stock and red wine. Add all remaining ingredients.
- Bring to boil and simmer for at least 2 hours, stirring often. *I simmer for several hours.
- Break up / shred chicken with wooden spoon as it becomes tender while simmering.
- Serve over your favorite cooked pasta and top with freshly grated Parmesan-Regiano cheese.
- Freezes well.
ITALIAN SUNDAY GRAVY
I got this recipe from the PBS show "America's Test Kitchen". The ingredients sounded so different that I had to try it. This is hands-down the best gravy I have tried. Add meatballs, if you can manage to stuff them in the slow-cooker, but with all the other meats, you won't miss them. Serve with a fresh loaf of bread, and...
Provided by Terry Heese
Time 9h
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- 1. Heat vegetable oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sweet sausage and cook until well browned and fat begins to render, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to paper towel-lined plate to drain. Then place in a large 5-6qt slow-cooker. Repeat with hot sausage.
- 2. Cook onions in sausage fat over medium heat until well browned, about 6 minutes. Stir in garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook until paste begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in wine and simmer, scraping browned bits from pan bottom with a wooden spoon, until wine is reduced, about 3 minutes. Transfer to slow-cooker. Stir in diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.
- 3. Submerge uncooked ribs and flank steak in sauce, in the slow-cooker. Set slow cooker on low, cover, and cook until meat is tender, 8-10 hours. (Alternatively, cook on high for 4-5 hours)
- 4. About 30 minutes before serving, transfer sausages, ribs, and flank steak to a baking sheet until cool enough to handle. Shred ribs and flank steak into small pieces, discarding fat and bones. Slice sausages in half, crosswise. Using wide spoon, skim fat off surface, then stir meat back into sauce. Stir in basil and pepper. Serve. Leftover gravy can be store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days. It freezes quite well.
- 5. MAKE AHEAD: The recipe can be prepared through step 2 up to 2 days in advance. After reducing the wine in step 2, add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and browned sausages to the dutch oven and simmer over medium-low heat until the sausages are cooked through, about 12 minutes. Refrigerate the sausage and sauce mixture in an airtight container until ready to use. When ready to cook the gravy, warm the sauce and sausages together over medium heat until heated through, and transfer to slow-cooker. Proceed with step 3.
ITALIAN GRAVY
Steps:
- In a large pot, place the tomato puree, tomato paste, chicken broth and the wine. Heat a large frying pan and add the olive oil. Saute the onions, garlic, celery, and carrot until they just begin to brown a bit. Add to the pot along with all remaining ingredients. Bring to a light boil and then turn to a simmer. Simmer for 2 hours, partly covered, stirring often. Remove the bones and discard. Skim the fat from the top and discard. Store in refrigerator, covered, in either glass, plastic, or stainless steel. It will keep for a week. Use for a pasta topping or for any other dish calling for Italian tomato sauce or "gravy". This freezes very well.
CAROL'S ITALIAN GRAVY
I was fortune enough to get this recipe from a dear italian friend. She is an amazing cook! This is the most amazing sauce ever! You can use it in any italian recipe. It freezes very well too! Enjoy and thank you Carol S!
Provided by Pame Daily
Categories Gravies
Time 4h20m
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- 1. you'll need a huge stewing pot! pot,med heat,add EVOO,lightly brown your ribs on both sides,scraping up pieces to prevent burning. Remove from pot. To pot add your onions,garlic & saute til onions are opague,not brown. Do not burn garlic,or it will be bitter. add all the tomatoes,& rest of ingredients. Add your meat to the pot. Turn heat back to simmer after a full boil. Simmer for 4 hrs. covered. Check frequently to make sure it doesn't burn. This will be a thick sauce Or gravy as the Italians call it! Serve with your favorite pasta. May add ground beef or meatballs. Garlic bread and toss salad. May use in any italian dishes. Enjoy!
ITALIAN TOMATO GRAVY
This is my versatile Italian tomato gravy recipe. It goes great with spaghetti and meatballs as well on pizza.
Provided by Brandon Squige Johnson
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Pasta Sauce Recipes Tomato
Time 11h30m
Yield 32
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Place 1 cup red wine, olive oil, beef neck bones, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and black pepper in a roasting pan; stir to coat.
- Roast neck bones and vegetable mixture in the preheated oven until vegetables are tender, 1 hour. Stir in about 2 tablespoons red wine while scraping any browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan. Roast until vegetables are browned, about 30 more minutes.
- Pour vegetable mixture into a 16-quart soup pot over medium-low heat; simmer for 30 minutes. Add tomato paste, plum tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, basil, oregano, and parsley; stir well. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce reduces, 8 hours.
- Remove neck bones from sauce; scrape marrow out of bones. Add marrow to sauce and simmer until dissolved, 1 to 2 more hours.
- Transfer sauce to a blender in batches, filling blender no more than half full. Cover and hold lid down; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Puree until smooth.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 63.1 calories, Carbohydrate 9.5 g, Fat 2 g, Fiber 2.5 g, Protein 2 g, SaturatedFat 0.3 g, Sodium 377.3 mg, Sugar 5 g
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients: The better the ingredients, the better the gravy. Use fresh tomatoes, garlic, onions, and olive oil. If you can, use San Marzano tomatoes, which are considered to be the best tomatoes for making gravy.
- Don't rush the process: Gravy takes time to develop its flavor. Simmer it for at least 2 hours, or even longer if you have the time. The longer you simmer it, the better it will taste.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot: This will help to prevent the gravy from scorching.
- Season the gravy to taste: Add salt, pepper, and other herbs and spices to taste. You can also add a bit of sugar to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Serve the gravy over your favorite pasta: Gravy is traditionally served over spaghetti or linguine, but you can also use it on other types of pasta, such as penne or rigatoni.
Conclusion:
Italian gravy is a delicious and versatile sauce that can be used on a variety of dishes. It is easy to make, and with a little practice, you can make a gravy that is just as good as your favorite restaurant's. So next time you are looking for a quick and easy meal, try making a pot of gravy. You won't be disappointed.
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
You'll also love