The most important post on this blog is finally here…Ma’s Sunday Sauce!!  This sauce is so simple believe it or not and absolutely delicious!

Let’s get right to the recipe…

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 lb. ground beef
  • 2 rounded tbsp. garlic salt
  • 2 tsp. black pepper
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Half of a large onion
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 1 large carrot
  • 3 or 4 sprigs of parsley (chopped)
  • 4 big cans of tomato puree
  • Small can of tomato paste
  • 4 tbsp. salted butter
  • Red pepper flakes to taste
  • 4 leaves of fresh basil (optional)
  • 3 lb. pasta (your choice of which type!)
The “holy trinity” + parsley and ground beef (onion, celery, carrot, parsley and ground beef)

 

 

Instructions:

  1. In a large sauce pan, coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil on low heat and add the ground beef. Sprinkle the beef with garlic salt and pepper and let it simmer until the meat is browned.
  2. Once the ground beef is cooked most of the way through, add your onion, celery, carrot and parsley. Put a cover on your pot and let this simmer until the vegetables start to get soft.
  3. Add the tomato puree, tomato paste, butter, red pepper flakes and basil (if you have it.)
  4. Let the sauce simmer on medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 40 minutes.
  5. Fill a sauce pan with water and salt it. Wait for the water to come to a boil and add your choice of pasta. Let this cook until al dente. (firm to the bite)
  6. The sauce is done! When your pasta is ready, drain it really well. Put some sauce on the bottom of your pasta bowl, add your pasta and finish it off with more sauce on top and fresh pecorino. The pasta will finish cooking in the sauce.
  7. Venite a mangiere (Come to Eat!)

Ma can make this sauce with her eyes closed, however I am still learning. There are so many ways to make tomato sauce but this is the way we have always had it. If you don’t eat meat, it is not necessary to add that step, instead you can replace it with a vegetarian meat option or don’t add it at all!

A quote from Ma: “Make sure you tell your people… SPATULIZE!!” It drives her nuts when people waste food and don’t use a spatula to get every last drop.

I hope this recipe inspires you to take your own spin on making sauce. She always says it is important to cook the things YOU like, adding or not adding the ingredients you prefer or don’t prefer. Enjoy this recipe and happy Sunday!