Italian at Heart

In my opinion there is one true test that proves how much of an Italian you are at heart, and that is the test of making great sauce. Every Italian family has their own recipe, and every family thinks their sauce is better than the rest. So, there tends to be a lot of pressure placed on one's sauce recipe.

I had a friend visiting for the weekend a few weeks ago and I decided that now was as good a time as any to test my sauce making skills. I had no recipe to follow, just instinct and learnings passed down from generations. I harnessed my Italian relatives and went to work. The keys to making good sauce are such:

Do not, by any means, add sugar
Don't lose the integrity of the tomato flavor by bombarding it with other ingredients
Low and slow cooking is the best
Fresh herbs and San Marzano tomatoes are a must

Oh! And I decided to make meatballs as well, just for good measure. But these were healthy, turkey meatballs.

Now part of me wants to share the recipe, but part of me wants to keep it as my own family secret that I can pass down to generations to come. So for now I would say just admire the pictures, and use the tips above to come up with your own sauce recipe. Who knows, you may find that you're a true Italian at heart.