Welcome to the ultimate guide to finding the best Italian sauce recipe that will tantalize your taste buds and transport you to the heart of Italy! Italian cuisine is renowned for its rich flavors, fresh ingredients, and versatile sauces that can elevate any dish. With so many options to choose from, finding the perfect recipe for your homemade Italian sauce can be overwhelming. This article will provide you with the essential steps and key ingredients to consider when selecting a recipe that aligns with your preferences and cooking skills. Whether you're a novice in the kitchen or a seasoned chef, we'll help you navigate the diverse world of Italian sauces and guide you towards creating a mouthwatering culinary masterpiece.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE WITH MEATBALLS
This is a recipe I got from my mother years ago -- it's great.
Provided by Jeremy
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Pasta Sauce Recipes Tomato
Time 2h20m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder and beaten egg. Mix well and form into 12 balls. Store, covered, in refrigerator until needed.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar and bay leaf. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 90 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, basil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and meatballs and simmer 30 minutes more. Serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 346.6 calories, Carbohydrate 23 g, Cholesterol 77.4 mg, Fat 21.2 g, Fiber 4.5 g, Protein 18.9 g, SaturatedFat 5.9 g, Sodium 1492.5 mg, Sugar 11.1 g
SUGO DI POMODORO (AUTHENTIC ITALIAN TOMATO SAUCE)
This is a basic recipe for authentic Italian tomato sauce flavored with extra-virgin olive oil, garlic and basil. Toss with your favorite pasta or use for pizza, gnocchi and more.
Provided by SilviaG
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Pasta Sauce Recipes Tomato
Time 30m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Heat oil in a saucepan over low heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook and stir until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add passata, basil, and salt. Cover and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tomato sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes. Remove garlic halves before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 152 calories, Carbohydrate 20.8 g, Fat 7.4 g, Fiber 4.8 g, Protein 4.2 g, SaturatedFat 1.1 g, Sodium 303.6 mg, Sugar 2.4 g
OLD ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE
A robust hearty Italian meat and mushroom pasta sauce. Serve with your favorite pasta, if desired.
Provided by Debbie
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Pasta Sauce Recipes Meat Sauce
Time 4h30m
Yield 20
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- In a large skillet, brown beef and pork over medium heat until no longer pink; set aside.
- In a large skillet, warm olive oil over medium heat and saute onions and garlic until tender; add about 1/2 cup of wine; mix well.
- Add mushrooms, rosemary, oregano and thyme to skillet and add another 1/2 cup wine; saute until tender.
- Add browned meat, tomato sauce and tomato paste to mixture; simmer for 1 hour and add the remaining 2 cups of wine.
- Simmer sauce on low for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally; serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 295.9 calories, Carbohydrate 15.9 g, Cholesterol 50.8 mg, Fat 16.8 g, Fiber 2.7 g, Protein 15.2 g, SaturatedFat 6 g, Sodium 788.1 mg, Sugar 11.4 g
SLOW-COOKER MEATY ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE
If you've been searching for "the one," that is a reliably delicious spaghetti sauce that will please the family, freeze well and get better overnight, we humbly suggest this recipe. No hard-to-find ingredients here, just everything you'd expect to be in a basic red sauce. Before stewing to perfection in your slow cooker, this sauce does require a crucial couple minutes of skillet time. Taking the 15 minutes to brown Italian sausage and onions to golden-brown perfection doesn't just bring out the best in these ingredients, it also leads to a sauce that's considerably more delicious than it would be otherwise. And after you do it, it's just a matter of tossing all the ingredients into the pot and letting them simmer together into a rich and savory red gravy!
Provided by By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Categories Entree
Time 8h15m
Yield 24
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Spray 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In 12-inch skillet, cook sausage, onions, mushrooms and garlic over medium heat about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain.
- Spoon sausage mixture into cooker.
- Stir in remaining ingredients.
- Cover; cook on Low heat setting 8 to 9 hours.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 90, Carbohydrate 7 g, Cholesterol 15 mg, Fiber 1 g, Protein 4 g, SaturatedFat 1 1/2 g, ServingSize 1 Serving, Sodium 450 mg, Sugar 4 g, TransFat 0 g
PASTA SAUCE WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE
A flavorful homemade recipe for those who are tired of sweet pasta sauces. Serve over your favorite pasta with a tossed green salad and crusty garlic bread.
Provided by CRAIG
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Pasta Sauce Recipes Tomato
Time 1h30m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Removed casing from sausage links and cut into 1/2 inch slices. In a large skillet, brown sausage over medium heat for about 10 minutes; remove and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat ground beef, olive oil, garlic and onion over medium heat until meat is nicely browned; drain.
- Pour in tomatoes and tomato sauce; mix in salt, ground black pepper, basil, oregano, bay leaf and cooked sausage. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
- Mix cooked sauce with hot pasta and remove bay leaf from sauce before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 339.2 calories, Carbohydrate 11.4 g, Cholesterol 58.1 mg, Fat 24.6 g, Fiber 2.3 g, Protein 18.5 g, SaturatedFat 8.5 g, Sodium 1517.8 mg, Sugar 5.9 g
ITALIAN SAUSAGE SPAGHETTI SAUCE
True, a jarred sauce offers wonderful convenience. But a homemade version absolutely can't be beat! Try this versatile sauce over pasta, in a lasagna or stuffed in shells. Angus Barsch - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 45m
Yield 12 servings (about 2 quarts).
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- In a Dutch oven, cook sausage and onion over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. , Add the tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, brown sugar, Italian seasoning and cinnamon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Stir in cheese., Serve desired amount over spaghetti. Cool remaining sauce; transfer to freezer containers. Freeze for up to 3 months., To use frozen sauce: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Place in a saucepan and heat through.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 231 calories, Fat 13g fat (5g saturated fat), Cholesterol 41mg cholesterol, Sodium 778mg sodium, Carbohydrate 13g carbohydrate (10g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 15g protein.
GRANDMA'S OLD ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE WITH MEATBALLS
Grandma's sauce is an old recipe that she brought over from Italy. It is a long process with strange ingredients, but they all come together to make the best sauce I have ever had. The long process is worth your trouble the minute you take your first bite.
Provided by cherbear
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Pasta Sauce Recipes Tomato
Time 8h
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in the bottom of a large saucepan, and fry the garlic cloves 5 to 8 minutes, until brown and fragrant. Remove the garlic cloves and set aside. Place the pig's feet and pork neck bones in the saucepan and fry, turning occasionally, until the meat and bones have browned, about 15 minutes.
- Return the garlic cloves to the saucepan, and stir in the tomato paste and 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, and pour in the tomato puree. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 3 hours, stirring from the bottom often to prevent burning, until the pig's feet are tender and the mixture begins to thicken. Stir in the sugar, pepper, and baking soda. Continue to simmer while you prepare the meatballs.
- Soak the torn bread with 1 cup of water in a bowl. Squeeze excess water out of the bread, and place the bread in a large bowl with the 6 beaten eggs, ground pork, ground veal, and ground beef. Mix thoroughly and form into 24 meatballs about 2 1/2 inches in diameter.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, stir in the minced garlic and chopped fresh basil, let them cook for about 1 minute, and then add the meatballs. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and fry them on all sides until brown, about 15 minutes, working in batches, if necessary.
- Place the browned meatballs, along with the oil, garlic, and basil from the skillet into the sauce, stirring lightly to avoid breaking them. Add the whole hard-boiled eggs, and simmer for about 1 1/2 more hours, until the meatballs are cooked, the sauce is thick, and all the flavors have blended.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 599.1 calories, Carbohydrate 38 g, Cholesterol 319.1 mg, Fat 29.4 g, Fiber 4.7 g, Protein 46.2 g, SaturatedFat 9.4 g, Sodium 1437.4 mg, Sugar 11.6 g
ITALIAN MEATBALLS IN TOMATO SAUCE
Make and share this Italian Meatballs in Tomato Sauce recipe from Food.com.
Provided by Julesong
Categories Meat
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 23
Steps:
- Make the sauce: in a heavy saucepan cook the onion and the garlic in the oil over low heat, stirring, for 2 minutes; add parsley, basil, tomatoes, tomato paste, stock, wine, sugar, romano, salt, and oregano, and simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
- While sauce is cooking, prepare the meatballs: in a large bowl combine bread (with liquid squeezed from it), chuck (it's really good if you grind your own!), eggs, romano, parsley, garlic, the oregano, salt, and pepper; mix well and form into 8 meatballs.
- In a large skillet brown the meatballs in the oil over high heat, turning them often; make sure to not crowd them in the pan, otherwise they won't brown properly.
- Transfer the browned meatballs to the sauce with a slotted spoon and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
- You can serve them with your favorite pasta right away, but these improve in flavor if they're cooled and chilled, covered, and refrigerated overnight or up to 2 days before serving.
ITALIAN PASTA SAUCE
I picked up this recipe when I lived in Italy; everyone loves it. Thought it was time to share! The Merlot and chicken granules are very important ingredients that set this recipes aside from other sauces.
Provided by Celeste Debruzzi
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Pasta Sauce Recipes Tomato
Time 1h15m
Yield 18
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and garlic in hot oil until the onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Sit tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, wine, tomato paste, chicken bouillon granules, basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper with the onion mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook at a simmer, stirring frequently, for 1 hour.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 63.5 calories, Carbohydrate 10.1 g, Cholesterol 0.1 mg, Fat 1.2 g, Fiber 2.6 g, Protein 2.4 g, SaturatedFat 0.2 g, Sodium 788.1 mg, Sugar 6.3 g
HOMEMADE ITALIAN RED SAUCE
You will love my Italian-style sauce. You can add meatballs to this sauce; it comes out really good.
Provided by Ignazia Vella
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Pasta Sauce Recipes Tomato
Time 2h20m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic in hot oil until onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Add water, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, baking soda, and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Stir mixture, bring to a simmer, and cook until the sauce is thickened, about 2 hours.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 149.4 calories, Carbohydrate 13.9 g, Fat 9.2 g, Fiber 3 g, Protein 3.1 g, SaturatedFat 1.3 g, Sodium 643.9 mg, Sugar 9.2 g
HOMEMADE ITALIAN SAUCE
Sauce like mom used to make. Serve over your favorite pasta. Classic red sauce with onion, mushrooms and garlic.
Provided by BARBLUVSFOOD
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Pasta Sauce Recipes Tomato
Time 1h50m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- In a blender chop the whole tomatoes with juice and garlic until chunky. In a medium size pot, heat oil on medium high heat. Put onion and mushroom in and saute for about 5 minutes.
- Place in pot the blended tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, chopped green peppers, oregano and basil. Bring to boil, then lower to medium low, cover and stir periodically. Cook and reduce about 1 to 2 hours or to your liking.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 253.9 calories, Carbohydrate 36.4 g, Fat 11.7 g, Fiber 9.8 g, Protein 8.7 g, SaturatedFat 1.7 g, Sodium 755.3 mg, Sugar 13.9 g
CHUNKY ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE
Zesty traditional spaghetti sauce.
Provided by Soulfood
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Pasta Sauce Recipes Tomato
Time 45m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Combine diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic powder, sugar, parsley, salt, oregano, basil, and pepper in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low, cover saucepan, and simmer until flavors blend, about 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 75.8 calories, Carbohydrate 15.1 g, Fat 0.3 g, Fiber 3.5 g, Protein 3.4 g, Sodium 1166.3 mg, Sugar 11.1 g
SAVORY ITALIAN SAUSAGE SAUCE
This is a great homemade sauce. It's savory and spicy, as well as thick and chunky. The secret is the combination of Italian sausage, green onions, red wine and red pepper flakes. Easily double or triple amount and top on anything! Even better the next day. Enjoy.
Provided by Carliey
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Pasta Sauce Recipes Tomato
Time 1h35m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute garlic until browned. Add sausage and cook for 4 minutes, breaking apart with a spoon. Add green onions and cook until sausage is evenly browned, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in mushrooms, basil and oregano; cook for 5 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, and tomato paste. Add water, red wine, red pepper flakes, and sugar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 1 hour.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 495.2 calories, Carbohydrate 36.3 g, Cholesterol 44.6 mg, Fat 29.2 g, Fiber 6.3 g, Protein 21 g, SaturatedFat 8.6 g, Sodium 2101.7 mg, Sugar 21.3 g
ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND MUSHROOM LASAGNA WITH BECHAMEL SAUCE
The bechamel adds a little something special to this wonderful lasagna. I like to use part skim ricotta and mozzarella and low-fat milk to cut some of the fat in this dish. You won't notice the difference.
Provided by Valerie Brunmeier
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian
Time 2h5m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Place the sausage in a skillet over medium heat and cook until browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes. Drain the sausage and set aside.
- To make bechamel sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the flour. Allow the flour and butter to cook until light and foamy, about 2 minutes, whisking constantly; whisk in milk, a little at a time. Whisk in the salt and nutmeg and bring the sauce to a bare simmer, whisking constantly until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove sauce from the heat and set aside.
- In a bowl, beat the egg and stir in the ricotta cheese and parsley until thoroughly combined.
- To assemble lasagna, pour about 1 1/2 cup of marinara sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish and top the sauce with 4 lasagna noodles, overlapping if necessary. On the noodles, layer 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, followed by 1/3 of the cooked sausage, 1/3 cup of mushrooms, 1/4 of the bechamel sauce, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, 1/8 cup of the Parmesan cheese and 1 more cup of marinara sauce. Repeat the layers twice more, ending with a final layer of noodles topped with a layer of marinara sauce, bechamel sauce, the remaining mozzarella cheese, and remaining Parmesan cheese. Cover the dish with foil.
- Bake in the preheated oven until bubbly and the noodles are tender, about 1 hour. Remove foil and bake until the top cheese layer is browned, about 5 more minutes. Allow the lasagna to stand for 10 minutes before cutting.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 406.8 calories, Carbohydrate 31.7 g, Cholesterol 73.5 mg, Fat 20.7 g, Fiber 3.5 g, Protein 23.1 g, SaturatedFat 10.6 g, Sodium 997 mg, Sugar 10.9 g
"REAL" ITALIAN BOLOGNESE SAUCE
After traveling throughout Italy, savoring the fine tastes of Bolognese from the many different regions, I decided to formulate my own. Try it, you'll love it.
Provided by Classic Chef
Categories Sauces
Time 2h40m
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- In a Dutch Oven or Medium Size Pot, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat until butter begins to froth.
- Add onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and bacon.
- Cook until onions are translucent (about 8 to 10 minutes).
- Remove bacon and remove fat.
- Chop lean portions of bacon in small pieces and return to pot.
- Add Ground beef and ground Pork, and cook until meat loses red, raw color.
- Raise heat and add wine and consomme.
- Cook sauce until wine and consomme are mostly evaporated.
- Turn heat down to simmer and add oregano, salt, pepper, sage, red pepper flakes, and nutmeg.
- Let cook for approximately 20 minutes.
- Add crushed tomatoes and bring heat to a boil.
- Once the mixture comes to a boil, return to simmer.
- Let sauce simmer (very slowly) partially covered for about 2 to 4 hours (the longer the better), stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- About 5 to 10 minutes before serving, add milk.
- Sauce can now be added to cooked Penne Pasta, Spaghetti or many other Pastas to your liking.
- Remaining sauce may be frozen for up to two months for future use.
ITALIAN TOMATO SAUCE
The best spaghetti sauce! We had this every Wednesday when I was growing up. The secret ingredient is the nutmeg. Just a pinch. Delicious! Serve over spaghetti.
Provided by cuttnshowmom
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Pasta Sauce Recipes Tomato
Time 50m
Yield 10
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion, celery, and garlic in hot oil until softened, about 5 minutes; add beef and cook, stirring to break into small chunks, until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes more.
- Stir stewed tomatoes and tomato paste with the beef mixture until smooth; add mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, sugar, nutmeg, oregano, and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is flavorful, about 10 minutes.
- Stir baking soda into the sauce. Continue cooking until you can taste a reduction in acidity of the sauce, about 10 minutes more.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 200.9 calories, Carbohydrate 17.6 g, Cholesterol 31.9 mg, Fat 9.6 g, Fiber 3.1 g, Protein 12.6 g, SaturatedFat 3.3 g, Sodium 980.3 mg, Sugar 12.4 g
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.
NORTH ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE (RAGU BOLOGNESE)
This recipe comes from Bologna, Italy. One unusual characteristic of this sauce is that there is no garlic in it--but there is a hint of ground nutmeg. Serve over hot cooked pasta.
Provided by MARBALET
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Pasta Sauce Recipes Meat Sauce
Time 1h30m
Yield 28
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add pancetta, onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to a heavy large saucepan.
- In same skillet, heat olive oil. Cook ground beef and pork over medium heat, stirring to break up any lumps, until browned. Pour in the wine, increase the heat and boil briskly, stirring constantly, until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. Transfer ground meat mixture to the saucepan with the pancetta and vegetables. Set skillet aside.
- Stir the beef stock and tomato paste into the saucepan. Bring sauce to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat in the original skillet. Add chicken livers and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, or until firm and lightly browned. Remove livers from skillet and dice. Set aside and add to sauce 10 minutes before it is done. A few minutes before serving, stir in the cream and let it heat through. Season sauce with nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 135.3 calories, Carbohydrate 1.9 g, Cholesterol 58.5 mg, Fat 11.5 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 5.3 g, SaturatedFat 5.2 g, Sodium 167.4 mg, Sugar 0.9 g
FRANK'S ITALIAN SAUCE (SPAGHETTI SAUCE)
Provided by Food Network
Time 3h20m
Yield 16 servings
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- For the meatballs: Combine all ingredients except the olive oil in a large bowl. Mix well. Form about 16 meatballs and place on a platter. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and fry meatballs over medium heat until browned. Repeat until all meatballs are browned. Place meatballs on new clean platter. Do not discard the oil.
- For the Gravy: In the skillet, heat the reserved oil, add the onion and garlic and saute for approximately 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook on medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Fill the empty tomato paste can full of water, add to the skillet, and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In an 8-quart saucepan, add the ground tomatoes and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Fill the empty ground tomato can 3/4 full of water and add to the saucepan, along with the tomato paste mixture from the skillet and the reserved browned meatballs. Mix thoroughly but carefully with a wooden spoon so as to not break the meatballs. Add the salt, ground pepper, and parsley and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes, then cover and cook on low heat for 2 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes to prevent sticking and burning on bottom of pan. Serve over al dente pasta and sprinkle with some grated Pecorino Romano cheese, along with crusty Italian bread and a good bottle of red wine.
BASIC ITALIAN TOMATO SAUCE
This is a great go-to tomato sauce and can be doused over any kind of pasta. If you have it on hand, toss in some fresh basil for a great aroma, and when the sauce is finished, add a little butter to make it more luxurious.From the book "Mad Hungry," by Lucinda Scala Quinn (Artisan Books).
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Cuisine-Inspired Recipes Italian Recipes
Yield Makes 3 cups; enough for 1 pound of pasta
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Swirl around the olive oil to coat the pan, and when the oil is hot, add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir constantly for 30 seconds, just long enough to release the garlic's fragrance and transform it slightly from its raw state. Don't cook it to golden.
- Raise the heat to high and stir in the tomatoes and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the basil sprig, if using. Remove the basil before serving and swirl in the butter, if using.
Tips:
- Use fresh, ripe tomatoes: This will give your sauce the best flavor. If you can, use tomatoes that are in season.
- Simmer your sauce for at least 30 minutes: This will allow the flavors to develop and deepen.
- Add some herbs and spices to your sauce: This will give it a more complex flavor. Some good options include basil, oregano, thyme, garlic, and onion.
- Don't be afraid to experiment: There are many different ways to make Italian sauce. Feel free to adjust the ingredients and proportions to suit your own taste.
Conclusion:
With so many delicious variations, there's sure to be an Italian sauce that everyone will love. So next time you're looking for a quick and easy meal, give one of these recipes a try. You won't be disappointed!
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