Italian-American Gravy (a.k.a Tomato/Marinara Sauce)

Slice or dice onions according to preference.

Place 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in large sauce pan and heat over medium. Add onions and sauté.

While onions are cooking mince garlic. Add the minced garlic when the onions appear to be beginning to brown. Sauté for an addition 2 minutes just to let the garlic cook a little. Don’t let the garlic cook too long or it will burn.

Remove the pan from heat. Add crushed or pureed tomatoes. Stir together. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, basil and parsley. Stir together. Return sauce pan to heat, and cook on low to medium-low. Place cover on sauce pan slightly askew, so as to allow some heat and moisture to escape. Simmer sauce for 2 hours (you can do less than that, but the flavors won’t come together as completely). Stir every 15 to 20 minutes. If the sauce is bubbling too much reduce heat.

**Variations**

Wine – Add about 1/4 cup at the end of the veggie sautéing period. Cook for another couple of minutes to reduce the wine and cook off the alcohol. Then add the remaining ingredients.

Meatballs/Sausage – add pre-cooked meatballs or Italian sausages after the sauce has been put together. Allow to simmer with sauce. This will enhance the flavor of both the meat and the sauce.

Vegetarian – add your choice of vegetables (peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, etc) along with the onions at the beginning of the recipe.

Feel free to add the wine, meatballs, sausage, and vegetables all together if you want! Also, don’t be afraid to change or add to the spices as you see fit. This recipe is just a basic Italian-American marinara sauce, but feel free to improvise!

One other note, the longer you can simmer your sauce the better. Just imagine an old-school Italian-American grandmother who would start her gravy in preparation for Sunday dinner as soon as church was over. The longer you can simmer the better the flavor!