Ingredients
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2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
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1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
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1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
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1 tablespoon sugar
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1 1/2 teaspoons salt
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1/2 teaspoon black pepper
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1 teaspoon italian seasoning
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1 teaspoon garlic powder
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1 tablespoon parsley
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1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese or 1/2 cup romano cheese
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2 cloves garlic, chopped
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Italian sausage or home-made meatballs
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1 -2 spareribs
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leftover cooked chicken thighs or chicken leg
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pepperoni
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2 onions, chopped
Instructions
- Combine tomato products in large stock pot or dutch oven.
- Add a 28 ounce can of water and stir.
- Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
- Sprinkle with sugar, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, parsley and grated cheese and stir to combine.
- In a frying pan, heat about 1/4" of vegetable oil and fry up your sausage or meatballs until cooked through.
- Add the meat to the simmering sauce, along with any optional meats (recommended) mentioned in ingredients.
- Now, this is an important, not to be left out, step: Add chopped onions and garlic to pan that meat was fried in.
- Do not drain anything before adding onions and garlic-- there should be some drippings/oil left in the pan!
- Fry onions and garlic until tender and aromatic.
- Remove pan from heat.
- Another important step, not to be left out: Add about 1/2 cup water to the pan and swish around, combining the leftover drippings and onion and garlic.
- Pour and scrape it all into the simmering sauce.
- Stir to combine.
- Let simmer for 3 hours or until desired consistency, stirring occasionally.
- I keep mine only half way covered, so it cooks down and gets thick and rich.
- Remove pepperoni, chicken and ribs if used.
- Remove meat from bones of chicken and ribs and add back to sauce in small shreds.
- Discard pepperoni, eat it, or chop it up and add it back to sauce.
- Serve over your favorite pasta and enjoy.