Joe's Amazing Sunday Sauce

Something really wonderful happens in an Italian family's kitchen. Mama, gramma, nona, whatever she may be known as, often spends hours and hours laboring over a hot stove, chopping garlic and onions, mincing herbs, crushing tomatoes, stirring and stirring and stirring so her family can enjoy a giant platter of that amazing Italian tradition- Sunday Sauce.

Well we don't have an old Italian grandmother working in the kitchen, rather a tall, dark and handsome Italian chef !! But his version of Sunday Sauce........ ohhh yaa.......

Joe's Amazing Sunday Sauce

2-3 cups diced tomatoes (canned with juice)

1 cup tomato paste

3 cups water

3 or 4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tb crushed dried basil

pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

several grinds freshly cracked black pepper

about 1/4 lb pork- Joe used trimmings and odd pieces of pork loin roast

olive oil

Heat olive oil in large pot and brown the pork all over. Add garlic to pan and cook and stir a minute or so. 

Add all remaining ingredients, stir to combine well. Allow to simmer over low heat for at least 6 hours until pork is very tender and sauce is reduced. Serve over pasta with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Some people use other meats in their sauce, and that's ok too. If you like meatballs, throw them in there. Or slice up some Italian sausage or crumble some in there (brown in a skillet first to remove excess fat). Each family has their own version of this sauce, as unique as the people in the family !

*Picture of Italian gramma cooking is courtesy of www.soyezlabienvenuechozmoi.blogspot.com. She is not our grandmother.