Spaghetti Sauce by Giovanna for Angelina

This is a true Sicilian homemade Spaghetti Sauce, also called Gravy. I will use this sauce as the base to many of the recipes you will find on my blog in the future.

Ingredients:

Onion: 1 medium; cut into large wedges.
Garlic: 7 cloves; cut in 1/3's
Beef Bullion: 1 cube
Chicken Bullion: 1 cube
Salt: 1 tsp.
Black Pepper: 1 tbsp.
Sugar: (the use will be explained later)
Whole Milk: 1/2 cup
Oregano: 1 tbsp.
Fresh Basil: 6 leaves
Pecarino Romano Cheese: 3/4 cup
Red wine: 1/4 cup
Virgin Olive Oil: (the use will be explained later)
Crushed Tomatoes: 3 qts. of 6-in-1 brand crushed tomatoes
Tomato Paste: Small can of your choice brand
Water: (the use will be explained later)

Putting it all together:

1. Cover the bottom of pan with about 1/8 inch with the virging olive iol.
2. After oil is heated to the point where an onion sizzles when it is dropped in, add the onions and garlic to the pot.
3. Lower heat to medium. Stir occasionally until onions become transleucent.
4. Lower heat to low. Let simmer for 1 minute.
5. Take out the onions and garlic. This step is optional. The olive oil is flavored at this point already and the onions and garlic are no longer being used to enhance the flavor.
6. Add the can of tomato paste. Stir well.
7. Add 1 qt. of the crushed tomatoes. Then fill can about 1/4 of the way up with water, swirl so the excess tomatoes in the can are picked up by the water, and poor the water in the pot.
8. Repeat for the next 2 qts.
9. Turn the heat to medium-high.
10. Remember to stir frequently after the tomatoes have been added.
11. Add the beef bullion, chicken bullion, salt, pepper, milk, and oregano.
12. Give it a taste. If it's a little bitter then the sugar is necessary to counteract the bitterness. Or if you simply like your sauce a little sweeter, add a little sugar at this point. Always add the sugar to taste.
13. Cook for approximately 5 minutes; stir occassionally.
14. Add the wine and stir well.
15. Add the cheese and stir well.
16. After five minutes more of cooking, add the fresh basil. Basil should always be the last ingredient in the sauce.
17. Bring the sauce up to a boil, and let it cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently.
18. Turn off the heat and let the sauce cool in the pan. During cooling, stir occasionally
19. When the sauce is cooled, strain the sauce using a strainer and ladel. The chunks remaining in the strainer can be thrown out or as I like to do, first pick out the garlic and put it in the sauce then throw out the remaining material, yum yum.

P.S. Don't forget to refrigerate the sauce after it has cooled. The sauce is always better the next day anyway! The sauce will last for 5 days refrigerated or you may also can the sauce if you know how (the canning process will be posted at a future date on this blog). Also I will be doing Chicago-land restaurant reviews, so if you are a restaurant goer, check into my blog again to see the videos and read the critiques about the restaurants.

Enjoy!