Grandma Rose’s Italian Spaghetti Sauce Recipe that will change your life!
by Aprilanne on Mar.15, 2010, under Food & Wine, Healthy Recipes
Grandma Rose’s Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce:
Why do Italian’s call Red Sauce - Gravy? The answer - Red Gravy contains meat, or the meat drippings from the browned sausage, meatballs and spareribs that eventually went into the sauce to be served with the pasta of choice.
Sauce as in Marinara Sauce - does not contain meat, and therefore retains the more common name of Red Sauce. Below is a “good” approximation of what goes into Authentic Italian Gravy - yet keep in mind - you can always get in touch with your “Inner Italian” and add whatever else you might like to “Make it Your Own.”
1. Place some Olive Oil ( a few Tablespoons) in the bottom of a large Pot - add a few cloves of garlic, gently brown - remove garlic cloves if desired.
2. Add 2-3 large cans of STRAINED Plum Italian Tomatoes - discard pulp (some will dice up the pulp and add it to the Sauce for a chunkier effect).
3. Add a hand-full of diced fresh basil, a pinch of salt and pepper to taste; bring to a boil, and reduce the heat to simmer to thicken. The thicker version is used on pasta, the thinner, lighter version is used when making your baked dishes such as lasagna and manicotti.
4. Add your browned meatballs, sausage, etc. to enhance flavor as desired - When meat is warmed through it’s ready to serve. Note: The longer the Gravy simmers, the thicker it will get, so be careful not to overdo the simmering process.
FUN FACT #2 - Grandma Rose would also pour the drippings from the browned meats into the Sauce for extra flavor but stopped doing this as she got on in years once the adverse effects of too much fats and oils in the diet became more well known.
5. At the end just prior to serving - toss in a pinch of fresh Oregano - if the Oregano sits too long in the simmering sauce, it will turn the flavor bitter. Serve with your favorite pasta and our Authentic Meatball Recipe from Grandma Rose.
Watch California Living’s “Making Meatballs with Aprilanne” now Ondemand!
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September 3, 2010, 10:20 am 
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August 14th, 2010 on 8:53 am
Bookmarked your website. Thank you for sharing. Definitely worth the time away from the books.
June 24th, 2010 on 10:56 am
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June 18th, 2010 on 11:38 am
Great post! STICK WITH IT!
May 4th, 2010 on 12:44 pm
Hi Andrew,
Try keeping frozen berries on hand to make quick smoothies that taste great! You can choose from a variety of high antioxidant rich blueberries, strawberries, watermelon, and/or kiwi’s and mix with calcium/Vitamin D enhanced orange juice or other healthful juice of your choice for an easy, nutrient rich drink. Choose organic sources whenever possible.
For diabetics looking to add smoothies into their nutrition line-up please check with your doctor about low glycemic fruits that can be substituted for the frozen fruits mentioned above. Thanks and Enjoy! Aprilanne
May 4th, 2010 on 11:36 am
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