Special Guest Recipe…Romano Family Pasta Sauce
How about a 100-year-old pasta sauce recipe directly from the daughter of Italian immigrants? In their original handwriting, inscribed onto a dish towel! Now this is special!
There are over 300 recipes in my recently published cookbook, Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us (Click on the link in Note 1 to get your own copy). Even in these inflationary times, we can prepare delicious meals for our family and do so in a way that does not break the budget. And it’s all in the cookbook!
Introduction
If you’ve ever been to Europe and had food cooked in the original old country ways, you will have a new appreciation of what a good meal tastes like. We’ve traveled all over Europe, and what I will tell you is that food prepared with quality ingredients, not rushed, using proven techniques and equipment, and made with love, is what it’s all about to me. We always seek out these kinds of places when we travel to Europe. This is the kind of food that satisfies not only your stomach but your soul. Yes, people often don’t think of satisfying your soul in today’s hurried world, but it’s an important aspect of the good life.
As you might imagine, I’m a bit partial to Italian food because I grew up eating good Italian food made by my mother, grandmother, and aunt (and uncle!) that incorporated the attributes I just described. Because Diane and I have traveled extensively in Italy and enjoyed delicious, authentic Italian food, I have an even greater appreciation for recipes passed down through generations by the immigrants who came to America many years ago. Just like this recipe has been. Once, in 2009, while we were in Italy with my parents, Diane and I enjoyed Italian cooking from my dad’s relatives outside of Assisi and in Rome. Talk about a treat!
As you read this recipe and make it for your family, don’t overlook the fact that it uses homemade pasta. Once you’ve had fresh, homemade pasta, you won’t want to go back to the dry pasta you buy in the store. It’s the extra time and effort to make homemade pasta to accompany your delicious sauce that brings the love part of the equation into play. You simply cannot get this quality of food anywhere but home.
While this special guest recipe is not in my cookbook, I am privileged to share it with you as it was shared with me.
One last thing: Is it simply sauce? Or is it sugo? Maybe it’s gravy? Depending upon your upbringing, it could be called any of these!
I like to think I’ve captured many of these old-school techniques in my Italian and other recipes that are included in my cookbook, Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like You and Me. Why don’t you check it out by clicking on the link in Note 1 and getting your own copy today?
Romano Family Pasta Sauce
Carmine Romano gave me this recipe. Carmine is the retired Maintenance and Engineering Senior Vice President (now Technical Operations) at American Airlines, and Diane’s former boss He grew up in New Jersey, outside of New York City. This recipe is his mother's, passed down to Carmine’s wife, Anne, and we believe it is at least 100 years old. The family then had the original recipe embroidered into this kitchen towel in her original handwriting.
The Romano’s make it every holiday season for their family, and since I went to lunch with him recently, it came up in our conversation. How special that he would give this to me and give me permission to share it with you!
This recipe is enough for two pounds of pasta. The Romano family typically makes cavatelli from scratch or sometimes spaghetti. Recognizing that homemade pasta is not something everyone is equipped or desires to make, substitute with a high-quality, bronze-cut pasta such as Delallo, Rao’s, De Cecco, or Barillio Al Bronzo, all of which are typically available nationwide. If you have a favorite local brand, that’s great too.
Ingredients
5 tablespoons olive oil
½ tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
2 leaves fresh sweet basil (1/8 teaspoon dried)
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano (or Italian seasoning)
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes
2 6 oz. cans of tomato paste
2 ½ cups water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 piece, about ½ pound, beef or pork (Note 1)
Salt and pepper to taste
Pasta of your choice (Note 2)
Directions
Blend all ingredients except the olive oil and meat in a blender.
In a stock pan or Dutch oven, add the oil and meat and brown on all sides.
Add sauce, heat with lid slightly cracked until just bubbling.
Simmer for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.
If the sauce becomes too thick, add a bit of water, about a tablespoon at a time.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to directions.
Top pasta with sauce.
Enjoy!
Notes
Like many cooks of that generation, Mrs. Romano used to make this recipe from memory. As such, I’ve had to clarify some ingredients and steps to ensure we could obtain the same fine results she did. For example, the amount of meat isn't exact, and using a bit more or less won't matter.
Homemade pasta is absolutely the best. If you cannot make homemade pasta, use high-quality bronze-cut pasta. Bronze-cut pasta “tears” the pasta as it’s cut, leaving rough edges that help absorb the sauce. Mass-production cutters are made of steel or Teflon-coated steel, and the pasta is smooth, making it more difficult for the sauce to adhere. Bronze cut is more expensive but definitely worth it.
Romano Family Pasta Sauce
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What’s in it for me?
Good eats, that’s what!
Call to Action
Show someone how much you love them by preparing a delicious meal for them. Later, enjoy the time and money you save by relishing your leftovers, either for lunch at work or dinner at home. Take comfort in knowing you are eating hearty food you prepared. All because you made a good decision to follow the recipes and tips in the cookbook I developed just for you.
Besides getting a copy of the cookbook for yourself, it makes an excellent gift for those you love and care for, especially for those with a young family who are looking to save time and money in the kitchen. And learn a few things in the process! What a great idea!
Recommended Resources
Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us by David Giustozzi (Note 1).
Up Next
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Notes
Please note that as an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn a small commission on the sale of any of these recommended resources.
Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/437OhVQ
Achieve Your Dreams: A Complete Guide to Live Your Best Life by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/3IxEFgy