May 19, 2014 · By Carla Bartolucci

Great-Grandma Falcone’s Pasta Sauce

We are excited to announce our next finalist. Congratulations Jessica & thank you for sharing Grandma Falcone's recipe! The best gift that my grandfather ever gave me is the recipe for my great-grandmother’s famous pasta sauce. I find that I was too young to remember my visits to Grandma Falcone’s house in the detail that I would like. The images that do come to mind are of a white fence, a big backyard filled with butterflies, and a kind-faced woman with silver hair. My mother has helped me fill in the blanks with pictures that my memories just barely reach – a long dining table with a gigantic jar of shredded cheese as a centerpiece, smiling faces, an unusually tiny kitchen, and the smells of garlic and basil. Though my family is filled with wonderful cooks, not one of us could make sauce quite like my great-grandmother could, even when we follow her recipes to a “T”. We guess as to what her true secret was: My aunt is positive that the fresh herbs from her garden added a special flavor that store-bought herbs could not match. My mother swears that the pot she used was magical, while my grandfather thinks that maybe she kept one or two ingredients a secret and never told us. Sadly, my great-grandmother passed away when I was ten, and her house with the white fence was torn down the following year. I guess we’ll never know for sure what her secret was. This recipe has been kept strictly within my family for many years. I hope that my grandfather won’t mind me sharing it, but in the end isn’t that what good food is meant for? To be shared? Each time I make this sauce, I place a jar of shredded cheese on my dining table, let the smells of garlic and basil waft out of my own tiny kitchen, and I happily serve the smiling faces of my family and friends. My great-grandmother’s house with the white fence and butterflies is no longer there, but her food can be created again and again. The love that she had for her food and her family lives on. Great-Grandma Falcone’s Pasta Sauce

• 1 onion
• 5 cloves garlic
• 6 oz. tomato paste
• 20 oz. crushed tomatoes (my favorite is Jovial)
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. (+ more) pepper
• 1 tsp. sugar
• Fresh basil (20 leaves)
• ½ cup water
• 1 lb. sweet sausage
• Jovial Olive oil

1. Dice garlic and onion
2. In a large pot, pour in enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Add garlic, onion, oregano and pepper. Sautee for a few minutes
3. As onions begin to brown, take skin off sausage, pick into pieces, and add to pot
4. Add tomato paste and stir. Wait 3-4 minutes
5. Add tomatoes, ½ cup water and ripped basil. Wait a few minutes.
6. Add salt, sugar, and a little more pepper
7. Let sit on stove for 2 hours, stirring occasionally
8. Serve on top of Jovial brown rice pasta and steamed broccoli. Garnish with shredded cheese from a gigantic jar in the center of your dining table. Share with everyone you love.

You have until June 19th to enter to win a fantastic culinary getaway in Lucca with jovial. Learn more!