They say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. In Italian families, it’s through his mother’s Sunday Gravy. Nope, not the yummy brown murder weapon that you use to drown your mashed potatoes in. It’s not marinara, tomato sauce or Bolognese. Sunday Gravy is the delicious tomato-ey stewy sauce flavored by hot and sweet sausage, handmade meatballs, and in some Southern Italian families, brasciole or pork spare ribs. It’s the one that you stir for an entire day and then enjoy over a giant plate of perfectly cooked al dente pasta with grated cheese. It’s the one that became couch culture through the scathing words of Tony Soprano (“He eats his Sunday gravy out of a jar.”). It’s the one that the rest of the general population calls spaghetti with meatballs.
This past weekend, my sweet mother-in-law came over to my kitchen and taught me the Natarelli Family Recipe, as taught to her by her mother-in-law. I changed my last name almost three years ago, but now that I have this for reals secret sauce simmering in my kitchen, I am officially a Natarelli. So, what’s the secret to the perfect Sunday Gravy? Learn it from your man (or woman’s) mother.
dede
03/02/2014 at 11:05 PM (11 years ago)Keep goin’. And then what happened?
xox, d
reallymaggie126
03/04/2014 at 4:24 PM (11 years ago)What happened next was we ate it all week until we thought we might be sick of it. Then froze enough to feed 3 or 4 construction crews! Want some? xxoo
dede
03/09/2014 at 6:22 PM (11 years ago)Oui.
Nicki
02/28/2014 at 1:20 PM (11 years ago)Edited version: What I meant to say is when you are “at the age” when your man’s mother, etc. Too anxious for the Natarelli recipe Maggie!
Nicki
02/28/2014 at 1:18 PM (11 years ago)So, if you are past the age when your man’s mother is long gone, and your own mother, though alive, never prized time in the kitchen, can you learn the secret for perfect Sunday Gravy from a goddaughter?
reallymaggie126
03/04/2014 at 4:24 PM (11 years ago)Yes! I think I should schedule that long overdue visit to St. Louis so we can make gravy TOGETHER. Love you!