How to Make Authentic Spaghetti Sauce

Yes, it's easier to open up a jar of Ragu, but if you want to make authentic Italian spaghetti sauce, following this simple little "how to" guide and your family will think you've got Sicilian blood.

First of all, know that true Italians don't call it "sauce." We call it "gravy." It's never "spaghetti sauce," it's simply "Gravy." Because to true Italians, there isn't any other kind of gravy. We live on pasta. So get the name straight. You are making gravy, not sauce.

Need dinner in an hour? Open up a jar of Ragu. Real gravy takes all day to cook. My late grandmother used to let it simmer in a big pot all day on Saturday to be ready for Sunday's dinner. We used to take a piece of bread and dip it in the gravy and put a little parmesan cheese on it and eat it. There was nothing better than that. Fresh Italian bread dipped in gravy. Mmmm.

What you want to do first is make the meat you plan to put in the gravy. This can be anything from meatballs (always a favorite) to Italian sausage, to even stew beef. Pork is also good. My great-grandmother used to make "chicken gravy" but that never appealed to me, so I never made it.

When you finish preparing your meatballs and other meats, you fry them. I know, fried isn't good. You can also bake them in the oven with a little olive oil on the pan so they don't stick. But they don't turn out as good, in my opinion. For one thing, the meatballs don't stay round, but have a lot of flat edges. You want to make sure the meat is browned, though. Then put it aside.

Next you'll want to take your big pot and heat up a little olive oil. Then you fry your garlic (it should be fresh and according to taste. Don't ask for quantities in this guide, a true Italian just "judges" ingredients and never measures. Measuring cups and spoons are for baking. Fry up your garlic and an onion, too. You will want to make sure you have Certs available for after the meal. Next you want to put in some vegetables and fry them up, too. You don't want them soggy, just flash-fried. I used green peppers and mushrooms.