If you're interested in a meat sauce, my family has a great recipe. It comes from a Mrs. Ferrera, who was a neighbor of my mother's family when my mom was growing up. It's a staple at our house. (I will attempt to translate from my mom's handwriting)
1 lb. ground beef 3 cloves garlic 1 onion 1 stalk celery 1 carrot parsley sage, rosemary & thyme 2 cans tomato sauce OR 1 large can tomatoes & 1/2 can tomato paste cinnamon allspice salt & pepper
All of the veggies, from the garlic to the parsley, are chopped.
Brown beef (in olive oil in original recipe). Add veggies & herbs and cook until soft. Add tomatoes, a dash each of cinnamon & allspice. Simmer 2 hrs. Correct seasoning*.
...going back to her mom's copy of the recipe, that should be 6 leaves fresh sage, 1-2 dozen fresh leaves rosemary (that's the little needles, not branches!), a handful of fresh parsley, and the leaves of 3 branches of fresh thyme. If the herbs are dry, you'd use less. My mom also points out that the dashes of cinnamon and allspice should be fairly light sprinklings or else the sauce will be too sweet.
*By which she means "taste it, and add salt & pepper if you think it needs it"
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2011-02-21 12:48 am (UTC)1 lb. ground beef
3 cloves garlic
1 onion
1 stalk celery
1 carrot
parsley
sage, rosemary & thyme
2 cans tomato sauce OR 1 large can tomatoes & 1/2 can tomato paste
cinnamon
allspice
salt & pepper
All of the veggies, from the garlic to the parsley, are chopped.
Brown beef (in olive oil in original recipe). Add veggies & herbs and cook until soft. Add tomatoes, a dash each of cinnamon & allspice. Simmer 2 hrs. Correct seasoning*.
...going back to her mom's copy of the recipe, that should be 6 leaves fresh sage, 1-2 dozen fresh leaves rosemary (that's the little needles, not branches!), a handful of fresh parsley, and the leaves of 3 branches of fresh thyme. If the herbs are dry, you'd use less. My mom also points out that the dashes of cinnamon and allspice should be fairly light sprinklings or else the sauce will be too sweet.
*By which she means "taste it, and add salt & pepper if you think it needs it"