Gramma Russo's Sunday Sauce

Just realized I haven't shared any recipes yet. Well, this is a classic, so write it down and hand it down to the next generation. This is my Gramma Russo's Sunday sauce. We didn't visit often. Once a year to be exact but I remember Sunday supper well. We lived in Texas and both sets of grandparents lived in upper state New York. So once a year we piled into the family wagon and made the 3-4 day trip north. That's a story in itself for another time.

Always on Sunday my Gramma Russo did the classic multiple course Italian meal we've all read about, participated in, enjoyed. I was fascinated! At 5 & 6 years old I followed my gramma down into the basement kitchen and watched as she rolled out the homemade pasta and hung it to dry. She roasted red peppers speared on a dinner fork over the double burner gas stove for goodness sake. I'd never seen such things. The other thing I had never seen was an upstairs kitchen that was used for virtually nothing. It was pristine. Not extravagant, just not used for anything. All the real, heavy duty cooking was done in the basement. And Gramma Russo would clomp up and down those basement steps in Lauren Bacall pumps carrying several courses to the dining room table.

We ate for what seemed like hours to me. I still love to sit around the table after dinner telling stories and nibbling the leftover bits, a problem for my British husband who grew up with food simply for physical nourishment.  My brother and sister would get bored and want to be excused but I loved to stay and listen to grown up stories told in half English and half Italian by my fathers relatives. I think this is where my love of food began and the idea that it nourishes our souls and makes us a family. The old aunts were my favorite. Rita, Mary, Lena, Maggie and cousin Bobby (aka Mary Poppins - another story).  Lots of cheek pinching and exclamations about hearty appetites ( I've always had one).

I started this to share a recipe but my memories got int he way, so here we go.  I'm not very good at following recipes, I like to put my own twist on everything and this makes me not very good at writing recipes in the traditional sense.  No list of ingredients or steps to follow.  More like a story to tell, so follow along.

Gramma always started with about 2 pounds of meat.  She was partial to Italian pork sausage (both hot and sweet).  Over the years I've tried other meat but when my sister and I say we're making Gramma Sauce we use the sausage.  Keep the sausage in about 6 inch links and brown it all in a big heavy bottom sauce pot.  Add three 15 ounce cans of tomoato sauce and three 15 ounce cans of water.  We fill each empty tomato sauce can with water as we go to rinse out all the sauce.  Add one 6 ounce can of tomato paste and one 6 ounce can of water, again rinse the paste can.  Turn the heat up and get it boiling.  Add a handful of dired oregano, about a tablespoon of fennel seeds, two bay leaves, a little salt and pepper.  Put the lid on and let this boil for about an hour.  Turn it down to low, take the lid off and let it simmer most of the day.  If it seems to be getting too thick, put the lid back on for a while.  I usually start this process by 10 am so my house smells like Sunday Sauce all day. 

I know this is not a sophisticated recipe and I've fancied it up over the years with versions that use fancy cuts of meat, cook the paste with meat, contain wine, have chopped garlic and onions, the list is endless.  But when I am feeling the need for family and comfort, I make it exactly like my Gramma did so many years ago.