I can make this with my eyes closed and hands tied behind my back LOL. I think I was fed my Mom’s gravy before I was fed any other solids as a baby! LOL And, yes, I call it GRAVY – ya know, the red stuff that slow cooks for houuuuurs on the stove and that my family and I ate EVERY Sunday (and still do!) with meatballs and pasta. My older sister Jen loves my Mom’s gravy so much that she (literally) drinks it! She pours so much over her spaghetti and meatballs that after she has eaten her food there is a “pool” of gravy that she eats with a spoon like soup!

These days, whenever I make my clients a pot of gravy/meatballs I always receive an email once they have eaten it saying just how delicious it is! I like to make my Mama proud. Oh, something you should know about my mother is that she really does not like to cook, she has her few “staple meals” that are absolute amazing (homemade pizza anyone?!) but other than that, she avoids the kitchen. With that being said, you are in luck, because all her recipes are super easy, so this sauce will sure to become your Sunday go-to as well! Now go – MANGIA!!

Mom’s Gravy

Ingredients:

1 (28oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1 (6oz.) can tomato paste

2 “swirls around the pan” of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 onion – cut in half

1 large carrot

2 stalks celery

salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbs. dried basil

1 Tbs. dried parsley*

1 Tbs. oregano

1 Tbs. onion powder

1 Tbs. garlic powder

1/4 cup water

Optional: 3-4 cloves finely minced garlic**

* this is debatable, I add dried parsley, but as I am writing this recipe now, my Mom is reprimanding me saying that parsley DOES not go in the sauce – only in the meatballs (and oregano NEVER goes into the meatball mix!)

**Chef Nance does NOT use fresh garlic, only garlic powder, I use both

Directions

1. In a pot over med-high heat, drizzle two good “swirls” of EVOO, add the onion, carrot, and celery and sauté for a few minutes.
2. Then add all the remaining ingredients. My Mom likes to “clean out” the crushed tomato and tomato paste cans with about 1/4 cup of water, pouring and swirling the water between the two cans to get out all the tomato sauce, then she adds the “watery-tomato sauce” (for lack of a better term lol) to the pot of gravy.
3. If you are keeping this meat-free, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low, cover with lid, and allow to simmer for about 1 hour.
4. If you are adding meat (meatballs, sausage etc.) she cooks the gravy all afternoon, for about 4-5 hours…so if you are adding meatballs, sausage or brasciole, just quickly brown them on the stove top and put them partially cooked in the sauce. They will finish cooking in the sauce – hence the reason for cooking all afternoon. 🙂
5. Serve over your favorite pasta and enjoy!

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