Grammys Sunday Sauce Recipes

BIG JEFF'S JUMBO LASAGNA

Steps:

• For the cheese filling: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Mix together the ricotta, mozzarella mix, Romano, parsley, pepper and eggs in a large bowl.
• For the lasagna: Coat bottom of a 9-by-13-by-3-inch baking pan with the olive oil. Layer 14 lasagna noodles overlapping each other in bottom of pan. Add 8 ounces Nana's Sunday Sauce spread evenly over pasta, then pour in half of the cheese filling. Evenly spread all of sausage on top of the cheese filling and add 7 more lasagna noodles. Add 8 ounces Nana's Sunday Sauce and the remaining cheese filling. Crumble Nana's Giant Meatballs over cheese filling and add 8 slices provolone to cover the meatball layer. Cover the provolone with remaining lasagna noodles. Spread the remaining Nana's Sunday Sauce over noodles and top with Romano. Cover with foil and bake for 3 hours.
• Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven and add neck bones and rib tips. Sprinkle with garlic salt and brown the meat, about 15 minutes. Add garlic, parsley and onion and cook until translucent, about 15 minutes.
• Add crushed tomatoes and basil. Cook down, stirring continuously, about 20 minutes.
• Add tomato paste, salt and pepper and 26 cups water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until reduced by a quarter, about 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Mix beef, pork, breadcrumbs, basil, garlic, salt, pepper, egg and onion in a bowl and form into 4-ounce balls. Roll in olive oil and place on a sheet pan. Bake until roasted to golden brown, about 20 minutes.

SUNDAY GRAVY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300º
• In a large enameled cast-iron dutch oven, heat olive oil over moderate heat until shimmering. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Add to the pot in one layer and brown well on both sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer short ribs to a plate.
• Reserve 1 tablespoon of fat in pot. Add onions and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned, about 5-6 minutes. Add the tomato paste, garlic, oregano, basil, and crushed red pepper, stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and their juices, the carrot and parmesan rind. Season with salt. Bring to a simmer.
• Return the short ribs and their accumulated juices to the pot. Turn a few times and nestle into the sauce. Bring back to simmer, cover and transfer to oven.
• Braise in the oven for 3 hours until meat is very tender. Remove from oven. Skim fat from top, leaving some, again, for flavor.
• Transfer meat to cutting board. Discard carrot and parmesan rind. With two forks, shred meat into 1-inch chunks. Return meat to sauce and season with salt and pepper.
• In large stock pot of boiling, salted water, cook spaghetti until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking water. Transfer pasta to pot of gravy and toss and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add some pasta water if it seems too thick. Serve immediately in large bowl with grated parmesan cheese.

GRAMMY'S SUNDAY SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. In a large pot on low, heat the oil and sauté the sausage and pork chops until brown on all sides, about 20-30 minutes - don't worry if the meat is not cooked through because the meat will finish cooking in the sauce.
• 2. Remove the meat from the pan into a bowl; (here's where you can add a little red wine into the emptied pan, if you like...approximately 1 cup). Cook the wine for about 10-15 minutes to deglaze the pan. Then add the garlic and onions now. If you don't want the wine, just skip that step and add the garlic and onions to the emptied pan. Sauté until garlic is golden brown and onions are soft and translucent, about 5-8 minutes on medium low.
• 3. Add tomatoes, Parmigiano, basil and sugar; allow to simmer one hour over low heat. Add the meat back into the sauce and let cook on low for 3-4 hours. Stir frequently to avoid it from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan. (See flavor tip below) This can be done in the slow cooker so easily. After you've added the tomatoes, skip cooking it for the hour, and add the meat and all into the slow cooker. Now, just sit back and relax, and let it cook all day. It's ready when the oil floats to the top.
• 4. If I'm adding meatballs (and that's always) I remove the pork and sausage to a bowl, cover them with foil to keep them warm. Then I add the fried meatballs and let them simmer in the sauce for 1 hour before serving the sauce over your favorite spaghetti or pasta.
• 5. My Mom's Tips: 1. Always save the oil from the meatballs, and add a small ladle to the sauce as it cooks. Adds great flavor and you can always scoop it off the top before you serve it. 2. An important quote from Mom, "Never use oregano in spaghetti sauce...oregano is for pizza sauce!"

MARIE QUATTRUCCI'S SUNDAY GRAVY WITH MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Sauce.In a large Dutch oven heat the olive oil over high heat. Brown the sausage and the pork ribs over medium-high heat; don't crowd the pan and do it in batches, if necessary so meats brown well and evenly.
• When the meat is browned on both sides, move to the side of the pan and lower the heat to medium low. Add the tomato paste. Mash the paste down with a fork so it's a thin layer on the bottom of the pan and add the black pepper, garlic salt and powder and minced garlic. Simmer the paste for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, making sure that the paste does not burn.
• Add the crush tomatoes. Stir to combine. Rinse down the sides of the crushed tomato cans adding about 1 4/ to 1/3 can of water to each can and add to sauce. Rinse down the sides of the cans of tomato paste by filling each to the top with water and then add to the pot. Stir well until the sauce and meats are combined.
• Bring to a slow boil and then immediately lower the heat and simmer very gently for 3 to 4 hours, partially covered. Periodically check the pot, stirring the sauce and adjusting the heat, if necessary. Simmer until the sauce is thick but still creamy, about 3 to 4 hours. If it gets too thick, add small increments of water. Let the sauce cool to room temperature and refrigerate overnight. Reheat the sauce very gently over low heat, adding water if it's too thick.
• Meatballs. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large mixing bowl combine the meats using your hands, squeezing through your fingers to combine the meats thoroughly. Add the eggs, breadcrumbs, garlic, black pepper, salt, Parmesan and chopped parsley. Mix together with your hands, squeezing through your fingers. Form into 2- inch balls and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until the meatballs are browned but not crusty. Drain on paper towels and add to the simmering sauce. Cook in the sauce for the last 45 minutes of simmering the sauce, adding small amounts of water if the sauce gets too thick. Serve over pasta of your choice such as pappardelle.

GRAMMY'S CRAB CAKES

Steps:

• Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler. Lightly grease a broiler pan or baking sheet.
• Shred crabmeat and place in a medium bowl with bread crumbs and parsley. Mix together and season with salt and pepper.
• Whisk egg, mayonnaise, green onion, dry mustard, and hot pepper sauce together in a small bowl. Add to crabmeat mixture and mix well. Form into 6 patties and place on the prepared pan. Brush tops with melted butter.
• Cook under the preheated broiler until lightly browned and cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.

GRANDMA'S SUNDAY SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pot and cook pork ribs until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Cook sausages until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the same plate as the ribs.
• Drain off some of the excess fat. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in remaining olive oil. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook and stir until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute; make sure not to burn. Pour in 1/2 of the red wine and scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
• Add tomato paste, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Stir until paste starts to darken, about 2 minutes. Stir in remaining red wine and water.
• Add tomatoes and their juices, crushing by hand as you add them to the pot. Season with basil, remaining salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a low simmer. Taste and add sugar if sauce is too acidic.
• Return ribs to the pot. Simmer, partially covered, adding more liquid if needed, for at least 2 hours. Add sausages back to the pot for the last 45 minutes of cooking. Add fresh basil during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Discard bones before serving.