This is a simple sauce. .. it takes about an hour of prep. . .then, in a perfect world, 8 hours to slowly simmer atop the stove and a night to rest in the refrigerator so the flavors meld and marry. Also known as Da' Sauce.I learned how to make this sauce from Macario Lullo who was the father of a woman I worked for. Mac's family was from Naples and he was an old school Italian guy from Southside Chicago who drove a big ol' Cadillac and smoked smelly cigars. Not a teddy bear at all, sort of gruff and cranky. The way he showed his love for his family was through cooking. When he made this sauce, it was his way of giving us all a hug. This sauce is pretty close to the Macster's - I think a little cigar ash might be missing but I am okay with that!
Neapolitan Gravy
3 28 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 28 oz. can san marzano crushed tomatoes
tomato paste in a tube
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped
big pinch peperoncini (red pepper flakes)
olive oil
1 lb. (about three links) hot Italian sausage
2 lbs. chicken breasts or thighs
1 1/2 lb. chuck or stew meat
Meatballs*
In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat 4 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. 
Add garlic and carefully saute until it is fragrant and slightly opaque being very careful not to let it color. 
Add the pepperoncini and saute until fragrant. 
Add tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, a good squirt of tomato paste and Italian parsley. Bring to a simmer, lower heat and let cook. Meanwhile. . . 
About five hours into the cooking time, in a large saute pan, brown the sausage until it is cooked through. Remove the sausages, set them aside. Pour out any grease. 
Using about 1/4 cup of water, deglaze the pan, scraping up all the browned bits and add the deglazing liquid to the tomato sauce.
Brown the chicken, deglaze the pan, add the liquid to the tomato sauce. Brown the chuck meat, deglaze the pan, add the liquid to the tomato sauce. Brown the meatballs*, deglaze the pan, add the liquid to the tomato sauce.
MEAT!
Add all the meat to the sauce and let everything simmer together for two 1/2 hours. If you have will of steel. . .put the sauce in the refrigerator and reheat the next day. If your will is weak, slice a piece of soft Italian bread, ladle some sauce atop the bread, sprinkle with freshly grated parmigianno reggiano (use that pre-grated junk and the ghost of Macario Lullo will torment you!) and enjoy that as a snack. Now put that sauce in the fridge because it is MUCH better the next day!
When it's time to bring on the sauce, remove any grease from the surface while it's cold. Heat gently until it's simmering and the meat is cooked through. Using tongs, separate the meat from the sauce. 
Cook some penne rigate (I like deCiccio), toss some pasta with the sauce and serve that along with the platter of meat, a big bowl of grated cheese and a ladle so people can add more gravy as they like. Make a silent toast to the Macster for a nice legacy of deliciousness.
*meatball recipe to follow soon!
9 comments:
Okay, I probably read way too many food blogs, but I can honestly say that this the first time an entry has literally made my mouth water.
Ugh, I'm going to drown myself in a sea of deliciousness now!
Goodbye cruel world.
I MUST make this!! The pictures are very helful and somehow familiar. Congrats on this long anticipated blog and I'll let you know how it turns out.
Lainie, not only am I excited to have discovered your food blog, this Macaroni and Gravy recipe looks so good it almost made me cry. :-)
Can't wait to read more!
Also...just for clarification, do you always use the 6-in-1 sauce? I've used it in the past and like it, but sometimes I can't find it.
Arnold, you can use any tomato sauce - 6 in 1 is the kind Mac liked so I use it. . can't always find them and have had success with other brands. I am glad you found yourself here! :)
I'm seriously thinking of making this for Christmas dinner. :-)
About the 6 in 1. It is hard to find around july. They pull all their stuff because they think it gets tinny.(Some smaller stores still have it) So every year you get a new fresh batch. I order mine straight from Escalon in july. It is much cheaper, and you can also buy the extra big cans, for that Sunday Gravy. Postage is not bad. Hope this helps.
Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!
I found this recipe about 3 years ago and still haven't had a chance to try it. It makes me sad because this looks fantastic. I live in Canada and have never seen the 6-in-1 or any of the other brands you use. Do you know of any Canadian substitutes that I can use?
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