Sunday Sauce OR Gravy
The traditional Sunday dinner in most Italian households is pasta and meatballs covered with tomato sauce. And, if you don’t already have your own recipe, or even if you do, you just might want to try Renee’s recipes for tomato sauce and meatballs. Karen Pickus collaborated with Renee in writing these recipes for Good Morning America. I am guessing that Renee pretty much does everything “by eye” and “feel” and doesn’t technically measure anything when she cooks. So in order to pass them along, someone had to interpret the amounts of the ingredients into concrete measurements we can follow.
Tomato Sauce alla Renee Graziano
Difficulty: Easy
Cooking Time: 60-120 minutes
Ingredients
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 Tbs. minced fresh garlic
¼ cup minced parsley
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh oregano
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
1- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
3- 28 oz. cans whole peeled tomato
1-6 oz. can tomato paste
Cooking Directions
In a 6 quart pot over medium flame, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic and herbs. Saute' over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes until onion is translucent but not brown. Add the salt and pepper and all of the tomato product. Simmer for 15 minutes then add the meatballs. Simmer 1 ½-2 hours. If using without the meatballs simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove herb stems and serve.
Renee Graziano’s Meatballs
Difficulty: Easy
Cooking Time: 60-120 minutes
Ingredients
1 LB. ground beef chuck
1 LB. ground pork
1 LB. ground veal
5 slices white bread
1cup whole milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbs. minced fresh garlic
2 tsp salt
1½ tsps. freshly ground black pepper
3 eggs
1/2 cup olive oil for frying
Cooking Directions
Combine all of the meat in a large bowl. Soak the bread and milk together in a separate bowl. When the milk is absorbed, add the bread mixture to the meat. Add the remaining ingredients except the olive oil. Mix well.
Roll into balls 1 ½ - 2 inch round. Heat the olive oil in a 10 inch frying pan.
Fry over medium heat about 10- 12 meatballs at a time until nicely browned. Place in the sauce. Repeat as many times as necessary until all of the meatballs are browned.
Simmer uncovered on low heat until meatballs are fully cooked and the sauce mellows, about 1-1/2 hours. Remove the herb sprigs and serve.
This recipe was styled and developed by chef Karen Pickus for Good Morning America.
There is nothing like homemade spaghetti sauce and meatballs! These are two delicious recipes that go together. I have tried them and they are far superior to anything you order in any restaurant. A big thanks to Renee for sharing her own family recipes with all of us.
I would like to suggest that Renee write a book of authentic Italian recipes, either recipes that are all hers or a collaboration of “Mob Wives” recipes (on and off the show). Who would not run out and pick up a Mob Wives Cookbook? And another suggestion that could be incorporated into the book is, along with the recipe on one side of the page, the other side of the page could tell a family story or memory of a special event or holiday. I’ll bet it would sell like hot cakes!
