Nirvana Italian Gravy Recipes

NIRVANA ITALIAN GRAVY

Steps:

• Cover the bottom of a stock pot (at least 12 quart) with olive oil and set over medium heat.
• Add short ribs, oxtails, country style spare ribs and beef neck bone and brown them with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon granulated onion, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
• Cook until both sides of meat are browned.
• Remove meat to a bowl and set aside.
• In the same pan add the sausage and ground beef.
• When ground meats are cooked through, drain grease and oil from pan.
• If there are any large pieces of the ground meats, break them up or pulse in a food processor.
• Add to bowl with other meats, set aside.
• Pour 1/4 cup olive oil into pot and saute onions, Italian parsley, garlic, shallots, jalapeno peppers, and pesto.
• Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic and 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion.
• When onions are limp, add all of the reserved meats.
• Over medium heat, add 2 cups red wine.
• While this mixture is cooking, in a separate saute pan, add 1/4 cup olive oil and over medium heat saute mushrooms.
• Raise heat to medium high and add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 granulated garlic, 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
• When mushrooms are browned add them to meats along with the tomato puree, tomato sauce and stock.
• In a food processor pulse stewed tomatoes with tomato paste until smooth and add them to the pot.
• Add allspice, Italian seasoning, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, 1 teaspoon granulated onion.
• The gravy must cover the meat and come close to the top of the pot.
• Reduce heat to the lowest simmer and cook uncovered for approximately 4 to 5 hours.
• Stir occasionally to keep from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• When meat on oxtail is tender, take all of the whole meats out of the pot, leaving the ground meats inches.
• To complete gravy, add 1 tablespoon granulated garlic, fresh basil and cream sherry.
• Serve the meat with gravy and pasta.
• Remove the rest of the gravy from the heat and let cool for 2 hours at room temperature then divide into pint containers and freeze.

ITALIAN SUNDAY GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat oil in very large Dutch oven.
• Add garlic and onions and saute until soft.
• Add tomato paste and stir to combine.
• Add crushed tomatoes and spices.
• Stir bring to boil, lower heat to low--cover and simmer.
• Meanwhile combine all meatball ingredients (except for flour and oil).
• Form into balls about 2-1/2 inches in diameter.
• Dredge meatballs in flour.
• Fry meatballs in oil in skillet a few at a time until browned on all sides (not necessary to cook through they will cook in the sauce) Add fried meatballs from skillet directly to simmering sauce.
• Stir and bring sauce back to a simmer.
• Cover.
• Place sausage in pot and cover with water.
• Bring to a boil and boil about 5 minutes to remove some of the fat.
• Brown boiled sausage in skillet.
• Place browned sausage in simmering sauce.
• Bring sauce back to simmer---cover and continue simmering for 2 hours over low heat---stir occassioanlly.
• Remove meatballs and sausage from pot and place on serving dish.
• Toss sauce with cooked pasta--You will have enough sauce to coat two pounds of cooked pasta.
• This freezes very well!

SAUSAGE ITALIAN GRAVY

Steps:

• In a large saucepot over medium heat saute the onion in the olive oil.
• Add garlic and continue to saute.
• Add sausage meat and brown slightly on all sides.
• Drain off any fat.
• Add thyme, tomatoes, salt and pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the basil.
• When sauce is bubbly, reduce heat and cover.
• Cook for at least one hour.
• Add the remaining fresh basil leaves the last fifteen minutes.
• Serve on cooked soft or firm polenta with extra romano cheese sprinkled over the top.

AUTHENTIC HOMEMADE ITALIAN GRAVY (SPAGHETTI SAUCE)

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or pot (large enough to contain all sauce ingredients) over medium heat. When hot but not smoking, add onion and garlic and saute until onion is translucent and garlic is fragrant. Be sure to stir every couple minutes so the garlic doesn't burn. If you want to leave the garlic in the sauce, you may do so, but if not, now is the time to remove garlic from the pot. I personally leave it in because my family loves garlic. If you choose to remove it, there will only be a very subtle garlic flavor present in the sauce.
• Add ground beef to pot with onion and olive oil. Fry, breaking up until small pieces are all that's left. Drain if excess oil is present; I recommend using lean ground beef for health reasons and draining.
• Once drained, add both cans of tomatoes, filling with 1.4 can of water afterwards to rinse the remaining sauce out and add to pot. Add chopped or broken up basil leafs if using fresh, or add dried basil at this time. Also add salt and pepper to pot. Stir well, breaking up any large chunks of tomato against the side of the pot.
• Allow pot to come to a simmering boil, and then turn heat down to low. Place lid on the pot, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Allow to simmer for 30-45 minutes. When the proper time has passed, taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper to your liking.
• Once this time has elapsed, your sauce is done and you are ready to use it for whatever you want - baked ziti, lasagna, spaghetti, stuffed peppers, or over polenta. You can also make a meatless version by simply omitting the ground beef, and you may use the sauce for pizza as well! It's a great, flavorful, and very versatile sauce for all occasions. Enjoy!

WEEKDAY ITALIAN GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and then the sausage; cook, turning occasionally, until brown all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage to the slow cooker. Pour off and discard all the oil in the skillet and return it to the heat. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until brick red, about 1 minute. Add the water and bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up the browned bits. Pour the mixture over the sausage.
• Add the beef shins, crushed tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, onion, garlic, Italian herbs, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to taste. Set the slow cooker on LOW for 8 hours, cover, and cook until the beef is very tender.
• When ready to serve, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 10 minutes. Transfer the sausage and beef to a cutting board, slice into serving portions, and arrange on a serving platter. Drain the pasta and toss with some of the sauce; transfer to a serving bowl.
• Serve the meat and pasta separately with sauce on the side. Freeze any leftover sauce for up to 3 months.

ITALIAN GRAVY AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a large pot combine tomato sauce, tomato puree, tomato paste, water, sugar, oregano, 2 tspn salt, 1 tspn pepper, garlic cloves and bring to a simmer on low heat.
• Combine ground beef, bread, eggs, Romano cheese, 1 1/2 tspn salt, garlic powder and 1/4 tspn pepper.
• Mix ingredients and form into meatballs 2-3" in diameter.
• In a large skillet use enough of the veg oil to have approx 1/8" covering bottom
• Heat on medium.
• When oil is hot enough, brown meatballs on all sides and add to pot with sauce.
• Brown pork neck or ribs in same pan and add to sauce.
• Add at least 1/2 of remaining oil in skillet to pot.
• Don't forget to add all of those small cooked bits from skillet bottom.
• (Great Flavor!!!) Any excess oil or fat can be spooned off of sauce after cooking.
• Cook uncovered (simmer) for 1 1/2 hrs.

BAKED MANICOTTI

Steps:

• For the sauce Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Pulse 1 can tomatoes with their juice in food processor until coarsely chopped, 3 or 4 pulses. Transfer to bowl. Repeat with remaining can tomatoes.
• Heat oil, garlic, and pepper flakes (if using) in large saucepan over medium heat until fragrant but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Stir in basil; adjust seasoning with salt.
• For the filling: Combine ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan, mozzarella, eggs, spinach, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, basil, and nutmeg in medium bowl; set aside.
• To assemble: Pour 1 inch boiling water into 13 by 9-inch broilersafe baking dish, then add noodles one at a time. Let noodles soak until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating noodles with tip of sharp knife to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on clean kitchen towels; discard water in baking dish and dry baking dish.
• Spread bottom of baking dish evenly with 1 1/2 cups sauce. Using soupspoon, spread generous 1/4 cup cheese-spinach mixture evenly onto bottom three-quarters of each noodle (with short side facing you), leaving top quarter of noodle exposed. Roll into tube shape and arrange in baking dish seam side down. Top evenly with remaining sauce, making certain that pasta is completely covered.
• Cover manicotti with aluminum foil. Bake until bubbling, about 40 minutes, then remove foil. Remove baking dish, adjust oven rack to uppermost position (about 6 inches from heating element), and heat broiler. Sprinkle manicotti evenly with remaining 1 cup Parmesan. Broil until cheese is spotty brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Cool 15 minutes, then serve.

MEATBALL NIRVANA

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place the beef into a mixing bowl, and season with salt, onion, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, oregano, red pepper flakes, hot pepper sauce, and Worcestershire sauce; mix well. Add the milk, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs. Mix until evenly blended, then form into 1 1/2-inch meatballs, and place onto a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.