Homemade Italian Red Sauce: Instructions and Ingredients

This recipe is our family favorite, it’s a dish we often make to celebrate my grandmother and her memory. When she was 8, my grandmother and her family emigrated to the United States from the Tuscany region of Italy. There’s always a feeling of nostalgia when making this recipe, the scent reminds me of my grandmother’s sauce simmering on the stove all day. And now, we celebrate her and her memory through the meals she once prepared for us.

This sauce is easy to start and tastes best when it has several hours to simmer. I’m sure this recipe will soon become a favorite with your family while it leaves your home with the most enticing aroma, full of warmth and comfort

Shared by Geena Tripodi from our Customer Service Team.

Ingredients for Homemade Italian Red Sauce

2 tbsp olive oil
1 package of GRFC pork neck bones 
1 package of beef shanks
2 small yellow onion
4 garlic cloves/2 tbsp minced
1 can 28 oz crushed tomatoes
1 can 8oz tomato paste
1 can 16 0z diced tomatoes
fresh basil & parsley, roughly chopped
salt & pepper to taste

*you can use spare ribs, sausage in place of neck bones 

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pot or dutch oven

2. Salt and pepper the meat and add it to the dutch oven. Brown and sear it on both sides for 3 minutes. Take the meat out of the pot and set it aside. Don’t dry the pan.

3. In the same pot or dutch oven, add the remaining tbsp of olive oil and onions and cook for about five minutes or until translucent. Add garlic cloves until aromatic.

4. Add 1 can of crushed tomatoes (I prefer San Marzano), fill it with water to add back to the pot, and then add the can of tomato paste.

5. Add a generous amount of salt and pepper. Stir and be sure to scrape up any of the browned bits on the bottom of the pot.

6. Put the meat back in the pot and cook on low for at least 3 hours, but more if possible. I aim for around 6 hours!

7. Pull out the bones and serve over hot pasta with grated Romano cheese and garnish with fresh basil and parsley. Enjoy!