Lu's Tomato Gravy

We call it Gravy in the boot, y'all ;)  I'm so far removed from my Italian/Jersey roots growing up in Texas.  But you can take this girl to the ends of the Earth but I will never be too far removed from the food of my ancestors!

All too often a simple pasta dish is made when I'm feeling lazy.  Throw my noodles in a pot and crack open a bottle of pasta sauce and dinner is served!  Bottled sauce is convenient but nothing compares to homemade chunky gravy!  If my mom or Granny Angie (rest in peace) knew how much money I spent on sauce they'd whack me upside the head!

I was home a couple of weeks ago visiting my folks.  I asked my mom about her meatballs which, in turn, led me to asking about her sauce.  I remember it being so rich and simmering on the stove top for hours as a kid.  But in reality, it's a quick and simple process!

Here's what you'll need:

Stock Pot
Wooden Spoon - you can't make gravy without a wooden spoon ;)
1/4 cup Shallots
1 Tbsp Garlic
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 28 ounce cans Whole Tomatoes
1 tsp Oregano
*2 Tbsp Salt
1 pinch Pepper
1 pinch Crushed Red Pepper

*2 Tbsp is a lot of salt.  I think 1 is plenty - even 1/2 would work.

Directions:

1. Adjust heat to Medium - add shallots and garlic to olive oil for 6-8 minutes or until translucent

2. Add the rest of the ingredients - raise heat and cook for 30 minutes, stirring and breaking up the tomatoes every so often

3. Lower heat and simmer for another 30-45 minutes stirring every so often

And that's it!  This sauce can be stored in an air-tight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Again - this recipe is just a base.  You can add all you want and make it your own!  I added portabello, green pepper and eggplant.  Have fun and Mangia!  Mangia!