Authentic Italian Pasta Sauce Recipe

When we visited Italy last year we had the pleasure of visiting my husbands family (his mom's cousin and her family) and were cordially invited to have dinner with them.  Everything was homemade and the meal was fabulous.  

From what I knew about Italy or so I thought I knew about it this pasta sauce was not what I had expected.  No basil, no garlic no fresh tomatoes?? How could that be?  No pepper or other seasonings just veggies, good ground minced meat or ground meat as we call it to make a good down home easy pasta sauce. According to Lorena ,our cousin, her mom makes the sauce this way for their restaurant but at home she uses garden fresh tomatoes.  See even in Italy they take short cuts.

It was very hard to say what I enjoyed the most but I definitely loved their pasta sauce.  Light and slightly sweet I asked for the recipe. I'm going to try a pot this way for our sauce this weekend.

My copykat pasta and sauce

It took a while for me to receive it and translating was a bit of an issue but here it is. 

1 carrot chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
1/2 sweet onion chopped
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
3- 28 oz. cans tomato sauce(clean out cans with a little water)and add to sauce
olive oil
freshly grated Romano cheese
homemade fettuccine pasta

Link to pasta recipe:

Homemade pasta 

In a large pot or Dutch oven on medium heat place approximately 4 T. olive oil.  Add chopped carrots, celery and onion. Saute for around 15 minutes.  Add ground meat, sprinkle a little salt too while  breaking meat up into small pieces and saute slowly until all red has disappeared from meat.  Add tomato sauce and sugar.  Sauce will start to bubble.  Cook on lower heat so not to stick covered slightly for approximately 1 1/2 hours. Buon Appetite!


Thank you Roberta Vispi and her daughter Lorena for sharing it with me.  

 La ringrazio tanto Lorena per avermi aiutato con la traduzione del vostro mamma ricetta. La salsa è ottima e ho pubblicato la ricetta sulla mia pagina e blog. Deliziosa

Roberta, Lorena

Roberta

Roberta's pasta and sauce

10/13/15

copyright i like to bake and cook blog 2015

6/1/16

Pineapple Fruit Cake!

 

Truth be told I have never liked fruitcake and when my Mom would make her yearly fruitcakes (yes she made several different kinds) I never ate one slice.  Never ever!  She'd prod and coax but there wasn't anyway she could get me to eat some.  It didn't appeal to me as another one of her favorites Greens and Beans.  I wouldn't taste them either.

I have mastered the Greens and Beans recipe with some alterations but today I decided this fruitcake recipe I had to try.  The recipe calls for using either a Tube pan or two bread pans.  I opted for the two bread pans because we are going to a brunch and I think one of these will be appreciated..

This is rather expensive cake to make so I was skeptical about making it.  Well I am happy to say it is wonderful!  Moist, with lots of pineapple, cherries and walnuts to give it great texture and substance. 

I will post this as my Mom has it written.  I cut back on the sugar and butter (1/2 cup less on each) hoping it wouldn't take away from the taste and I don't feel it did at all.  I will freeze one for later.  I made the loaf pans.  (With the busy holiday season quickly approaching this might be a nice addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner)

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups butter                                                1 large can pineapple chunks (20 oz. drained)
2 cups sugar                                                       1- 11oz. jar maraschino cherries drained and cut in pieces
8 eggs                                                                 1 lb. walnuts chopped ( I used 1 cup)
3 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla


Beat butter and sugar well.  Add 1 egg at a time.  Sift flour and dry ingredients.  Add to mixture. Fold in fruit and nuts.  Bake 325 degrees in well greased and parchment lined(2)loaf or 1 tube pan. Bake approx. 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center is clean.

                                                                 

I bought these at a kitchen shop in Cleveland but I have seen some similar to them at T.J. Maxx...Teak wood and very durable and I just love the design on them..Very cool..I want more!!!

Happy Baking from my kitchen to yours,

I like to bake and cook/family recipes 11/14/12

11/14/12 original

Easy Luchada! Italian Apple Pastry!

When my hubby was growing up he loved to go over to his neighbors house(her name was Faustina)and not only did she make the lightest Italian cookies, bread and this wonderful apple/ tart/pastry which she called Luchada it only took 30 years for me to attempt. it.

   I don't have a clue what Luchada means but to my husband it meant sweet apples in a delicate crust loaded with nuts and raisins.   Here is her recipe( my mother in law managed to make it a point to watch her and copy down how many handfuls of this and that she was using) and I am willing to share it with you.  This is definitely a must if you like apples, nuts and raisins..Enjoy!

The dough is difficult to work so make sure when you roll it out your apple slices are thin as to not disturb the dough while placing the apples.

From my kitchen to yours a special recipe!

 

LUCHADA (APPLE ROLL)

(Faustina's)

Dough

2 cups flour +1 wine glass (6 oz.) water

1 egg
 pinch salt

1 wine glass (6 oz.) regular oil

Mix all ingredients. Roll like a jelly roll size. Not too thin. Fill with

below filling.

Filling

6 sliced apples

 ½ cup chopped walnuts

1 cup sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon

½ cup raisins
 butter

Mix apples, sugar, raisins, walnuts, and cinnamon. Carefully, place on

top of rolled dough. Dab with several thin slices of butter. Roll gently

like a jelly roll several times. Place dough on greased cookie sheet.

Sprinkle with sugar. Bake 400° for 10 minutes then lower heat to 350° and bake 30 minutes more.

Happy Baking and Cooking from my kitchen to yours,

8/28/12 
2/22/13
1/14/14