Grandma's Spaghetti Sauce
Mom learned Italian cooking from Nonna Mazzoni after she and Dad were married. This sauce has been a tradition in our family for generations.
Ingredients
1 lb chicken giblets, chopped fine
1 handful dried mushrooms
1 green pepper, diced
1 ½ lbs lean ground beef
1 stalk celery, diced
1 large onion, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 large handful basil, chopped fine
1 qt stewed tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
3 or 4 large sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
Dash allspice
3 Tb olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions
- Brown meat slowly in olive oil in a thick-bottomed kettle. Add chopped mixture and stir in. Let simmer until vegetables and greens are melted down.
- Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, mushrooms, allspice and salt and pepper. We also like
to add about 1 teaspoon each of thyme and oregano and 1 teaspoon sugar to help cut the acidity. - Cook slowly for 2 hours or until grease comes to top, to avoid “tomato taste” (high acidity).
- Chicken broth may be added as sauce cooks down (rather than water).
Notes
- Spaghettini (fine spaghetti) and a cup of dry Monterey cheese are the boys' favorites with this sauce.
- For those who don't care for giblets, they can either be omitted or substituted with ground or finely chopped, skinless chicken breast.
- You can also add a cup of dry red (preferably) or white wine for a distinctive flavor.