Now that you’ve found the right flour and perfected your pasta, the next step in authentic Italian cooking is mastering the marinara. But first, let’s discuss the elephant in the room--what to call it. As any Italian-American can attest to, whether to call that red stuff that clings to your pasta “sauce” or “gravy” can be a hot-button issue.
Growing up, I was a firm believer that gravy necessarily entailed a meat base; therefore, I was always part of the sauce camp. However, my great-uncle Paul, the man who passed down the secret ravioli recipe to me, was a staunch supporter of the term gravy. “They’ll know you’re not a true Italian if you keep calling it sauce,” he would warn me sternly before heading over to the pot to taste and critique my work.
The sauce-gravy war raged in my family for years with many heated debates over dinner, and I never wavered in my position--until this year’s St. Anthony’s feast in the North End. When my mother and I came across an apron that said, “It’s gravy, not sauce,” we decided to concede. I haven’t told my Uncle Paul yet, but I’m sure he’ll be happy the next time he comes over for pasta and sees me wearing that apron.
Regardless of whether you call it sauce or gravy, you should know how to make it well. Again, I can’t divulge my family’s recipe, but I will provide you with a few tips on crafting an authentic, delicious sauce (whoops, gravy):
· Garlic. Lots of garlic.
· Start with tomato paste and regular tomatoes.
· Allow it to simmer for at least four hours.
· Taste it throughout the day to see if it’s too sweet or too tart and adjust accordingly.
· NEVER use the jarred stuff.
Fantastico…adesso, mangia! Ciao!
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