Mama Conti’s Sicilian Meat Sauce

When I was growing up, every Sunday was a day for the senses, the day you'd wake up to the smell of garlic and onions frying in olive oil. As you lay in bed, you could hear the “hisssss” as tomatoes were dropped into boiling water, and the sizzle as the meatballs were placed in hot olive oil. Before that it was the sound of knives on the chopping board, as onions, parsley, oregano and basil from my dad’s garden were being prepped. Mixing the ingredients for the meatballs was done by hand (no food processors then!) and you could feel when the consistency was just right to shape the meatballs. While the sugo (sauce) was simmering, the meatballs, onions and garlic were added, followed by homemade wine and Romano cheese, and of course the spices, each with its own bouquet. The sauce was a rich deep red color.

Finally, the tasting—after hours and hours of waiting, we were allowed to dip the crisp homemade bread (with its own blessed aroma) into the sugo. Nothing tasted better than fresh bread dipped into the pot of sugo. The brew my mom made was of another world, a place most home cooks have not visited. Yes, Sunday was the day for “pasta e sugo.” Sitting down to dinner (usually early afternoon) continued to feed the senses. The conversation was a mix of English and Sicilian, and, if relatives were over, loud. Salad with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and cucumbers from the garden, always dressed with olive oil and vinegar, was served after the pasta so as not to spoil the palate for the sauce. While I can’t guarantee the same sensory experience I’ve described when you dine at our Restaurant, I can say without hesitation that the Sauce will taste just as good, or as my dad would say––“Stu sugo e’ buono.”

Footnote: Every Italian son believes that his mom's sauce and meatballs are "the best." I set out to prove it by entering my version of Mama Conti's Sauce in a regional Northern California "Spaghetti Sauce Cook off" benefit held at a local winery. Among the entries were those by professional chefs, restaurant owners and of course, amateurs like me. At the end of the day, Mama Conti's Sauce won first prize, as I knew it would!

Mama Conti’s Sicilian Meat Sauce

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: Four to five hours

Servings: 8

Serve this sauce and meatballs over spaghetti, penne or ziti, with hot garlic bread on the side. If any sauce is left over, it freezes well.

Ingredients:

For the Sauce:

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• three pounds fresh tomatoes, or 32 ounces canned peeled tomatoes

• 12 ounces tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 64 ounces tomato sauce
• 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
• Use 1 medium chopped onion
• 6 cloves chopped garlic
• 2 cups freshly grated Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped Italian parsley
• 1 cup fresh chopped basil
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
• 1/8 cup fresh oregano leaves
• 4 cups red wine (good Burgundy or Chianti)

Meatballs:

• 3/4-pound ground pork
• 1/4-pound ground sirloin
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
• 2 slices Italian bread, moistened in red wine and crumbled
• 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley
• 4 cloves chopped garlic
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten

Instructions:

1. Blanch tomatoes in boiling water, peel and chop. Put tomatoes, paste, sugar and soda pulse a few times and transfer to a large pot. Add tomato sauce and simmer.
2. Combine all ingredients for meatballs in a in food processor or blender, large bowl and mix by hand. Then place the mixture into a food processor or blender and pulse a few times to blend, or continue blending by hand. Do not over-mix.
3. Fashion into meatballs (about 10) and sauté for 15 to 20 minutes in two tablespoons of the olive oil, turning each meatball three or four times.
4. Place meatballs in simmering sauce and use the remaining olive oil to sauté the onion and garlic. Then add this, along with the olive oil in the pan, to the sauce.
5. After meatballs are added to the sauce, blend in Romano cheese and red wine. Simmer about four hours, add parsley, basil, fresh ground black pepper, oregano and continue simmering another hour or so until sauce thickens.

Per serving: 486 cal.; 28 g pro.; 44 g carb.; 20 g fat (7sat.; 11 monounsat.; 2 polyunsat.); 127 mg chol.;2,103mg sod.; 41 percent calories from fat.

Enjoyment: abundant

Garlic Bread

• 1⁄2 cup butter
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 2 pressed garlic cloves or garlic powder 1⁄2 tsp. Romano or Parmesan cheese Y(F)O Makes about
• 1⁄4 tsp. dill weed 1⁄4 tsp. Oregano

1. Place ingredients in microwave proof bowl and heat until butter is melted. Mix thoroughly.
2. Cut 1 loaf Italian or French bread in half lengthwise and spread mixture on cut surfaces of bread and on top of loaf.
3. Cut into slices, place in aluminum foil, sprinkle top with cheese and parsley. Bake 10 minutes in pre-warmed oven at 400 F̊.