Follow below to see our Italian families secret Authentic Tomato gravy ( aka tomato sauce ) .
IF this is your first time visiting my site, please enjoy my Italian family story first…
My Italian heritage and Abruzzo Region of Southern Italy
Even though I was born in Canada, my Mom and Grandfather were born in the Abruzzo Region of Southern Italy. My grandfather, Tony Varze decided to move to Canada to start his own Olive Oil business (imported from Abruzzo Region).
My great grandmother taught her son, Tony Varze the family secret tomato gravy recipe (aka Italian tomato 🍅 sauce) at an early age. Nonno Varze ( that’s Grandpa Varze in Italian) passed down the family secret recipe to his first born grandson, Bari (that’s me ).
Apparently it’s an old custom Italian tradition, so I’m told.
I would like to give my followers my great grandmothers secret Italian tomato sauce recipe as a gift. Just because you’re here supporting my efforts, possibly buying my cookbook, “Canadian Recipes of the Great White North” and trying out my recipes.
Tony Varze passed along his Italian culture to his family. My uncles Roger, Ron, Don and my mom we’re a big part of carrying on tradition. In fact, it was traditional to have some sort of Spaghetti dish every Saturday afternoon with a glass of Nonno Tony Varze’s homemade red wine. Of course, it was never just one dish. It was a feast of homemade Spaghetti or fettuccine covered in my great grandmothers secret tomato sauce recipe, chicken cacciatore, a simply tossed salad with sweet white onions, fresh young dandelions greens, iceberg lettuce, Mediterranean Olives, fresh Roma tomatoes (from the garden) pepperoncini, olive oil, white or red wine vinegar ( depending on grandpa’s mood); and topped with generous portion of grated Romano parmesan cheese. Sometimes he would add homemade croutons, but not always.
Every Sunday after church (Catholic Church of course) , my mom would make homemade ravioli. Again, it was never just one dish, it was more like a 4 – 5 course meal. Cooked sausages with red peppers and onions would also be on the table with a big portion of homemade bread. Us kids would pick fresh young dandelion leaves to add to the luncheon salad too. Great memories !
Unfortunately my Mom, Elda died in her early thirties and my uncle Roger died of a heart attack while on a canoeing expedition. Just turning 13 years old, it was extremely hard on my sister Sabrina and I. To make matters worse, Grandpa Tony Dante Varze passed away on May 23 1988. Originally born in Corropoli, of the Abruzzo Region of Southern Italy.
After losing my mom,uncle and grandfather within a short period of time, I lost contact with the Italian side of my family. Sure, we did see our uncles Ron and Don, but they were pretty busy with their music careers. They never seemed to have the time. To add injury to insult, we lost contact with the Varze relatives in Italy.
IF, by chance you know or heard of the name Varze or their relations in Italy 🇮🇹, I would love to know where they are now. Maybe the grandchildren of the Varze family within Corropoli, Italy are still there. I am assuming.
Fortunately for Tony Varze, he did have the opportunity to go back home to Corropoli before he died. It was sometime in the early 1980’s I believe. I remember he was so excited to go ! When my grandparents came back, they were glowing with pride, as they showed me their trip to Italy. Grandpa Varze was so happy to go back and see the ancient ruins of Pompeii.
You know, the one where the whole town was covered with hot volcanic ash. Apparently, as quoted by National Geographic,” … Pompeii was a flourishing resort for Rome’s most distinguished citizens. Elegant houses and elaborate villas lined the paved streets. On the eve of that fateful eruption in 79 A.D., scholars estimate that there were about 12,000 people living in Pompeii and almost as many in the surrounding region.“
Pompeii citizens were aware of the Vesuvius volcano, only a short 5 miles from the town, but it was always active presenting no action to the people. So I’m guessing the citizens just ignored the common rumblings, until it was their last, that fateful day in 79 AD. Remarkably everything in that town, including 2000 of the 12,000 citizens covered, were intact. Perfectly preserved, as if time stood still. Such an amazing archeological find.
Anyway, my Grandpa and Grandma Varze were grateful they had a chance to see it once again. My grandma Varze was a school teacher and lived to 100 years old.
I hope you enjoyed my Italian heritage family story. Now I give you our secret tomato gravy recipe from my great grandmother. Not to get mixed up with the traditional Italian Sunday Gravy, which is a lot different. I’ll show you that recipe soon. Please enjoy :
The Italian Family Secret Tomato Gravy Recipe ( aka Tomato sauce)
Ingredients:
- 1 large can or 3 medium cans ( 28 fl oz / 796 ml ) of Italian Roma Stewed Tomatoes crushed by hand ( My Great Grandmother canned her own straight from the garden in Corropoli, Italy 🇮🇹)
- 3 medium cans of Tomato purée
- 1/2 cup of tomato paste
- 1/2 cup of chicken stock
- 4 tablespoons of Olive Oil
- NOW – we cook 5 Italian sausages (without the casing) [ This can be omitted, but again this is part of the traditional recipe]
- 1 large sweet white onion ( fine chop)
- 4 fresh minced garlic cloves
- 1/2 bottle of red wine ( again, my family use to make their own. It was a medium sweet red wine. It’s close to marsala wine. If you’re using Marsala wine only use 1/2 cup)
- 3 tablespoons of white sugar
- 1 orange 🍊 grate with the zest and 2 oranges cut and squeeze out all the juices.
- 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1 small bunch of fresh chopped basil
- 1/2 cup of fresh chopped oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon of grated nutmeg
- 1 hot chilli pepper ( optional , but it’s part of the true recipe)
- Season with salt and Black ground pepper
I know what you’re thinking. How’s this a tomato sauce when Italian sausages are added. In respect to the modern world you would most likely refer this to “Bolognese Sauce”. However that’s the true recipe.
Method :
- Using a large deep sauté pan, place on medium heat. Add Olive Oil.
- Add fine chopped onions, minced garlic and sugar. Sauté and stir with wooden spoon until onions are transparent. Approximately 3 – 5 minutes.
- Add Italian sausages (without casing) cook, sauté until completely cooked throughout.
- Turn heat down to medium-low.
- Add freshly chopped basil and oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg, one hot red chilli pepper.
- Season with a little salt and pepper ( don’t go crazy)
- Add squeezed orange juice from 2 oranges and add the zest from the one orange 🍊
- Now add either your 1/2 cup of Marsala wine or your favourite medium-sweet red wine ( not dry wine). If you’re using the bottle of 1/2 red wine, don’t add all of it, as of yet. Just a quarter-a-time. It’s supposed to reduce loosing the liquid. Do it three times until reduced.
- OK. Add the cans of crushed Roma Tomatoes 🍅 and the tomato purée. ( Great Grandma made her own, canning two times per year. You can do that in Southern Italy. Not here in the Great White North – aka Canada 🇨🇦. )
- Add 1/2 cup of chicken stock.
- Stir and bring back to a simmer. Let cook for 1 1/2 hours on low low heat. Go back every 20 minutes and stir. Don’t forget about it !
NOTE : Depending how you like the thickness of your tomato 🍅 sauce, you may want to add another 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Put I like it the way it is.
I hope you enjoyed my great grandmothers Italian families authentic Tomato Sauce. Soon I’ll show you how to make fresh fettuccine from scratch – keep coming back for more recipes.
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chefbari 