Recipe: The right Sunday sauce and the right table of people

I’m not Italian, but sometimes life puts you at the right table with the right people. That’s how I met Lou LaGuardia.

Back in early December, I attended a Crown Royal dinner at The Corkscrew Saloon, flying solo. I ended up seated with Dave Tepper and his wife, Debbie, owners of Grab-N-Go on State Road; Lou and his wife, Jen; and T.J. Jankowski and his wife. Put me at any table long enough and the conversation always turns to food.

Lou was next to me, and we got to talking.

He told me about the restaurant he and Jen owned in Paso Robles, California, and the scratch-made food they served. One story led to another, and before long the four of us – Lou, T.J., Dave and I – were deep into a conversation about the Italian classic known as Sunday sauce.

Calendars came out. A date was set. A few Sundays ago, it finally happened – the Sunday Sauce party.

The words tradition and family best describe the process. The sauce starts early and simmers for six to eight hours, filling the house with that unmistakable Sunday smell. In the end, everyone gathers around the table for a hearty meal. The key part is simple – the family gathers.

Lou taught us how to make the sauce, but somewhere along the way it felt like more than cooking. This is why we show up, why we share meals, why we linger at the table. Somewhere between the first bite and the last scrape of the plate, we’re reminded that life’s best things are simple – friendship, love, laughter and a good meal together.

Here is Lou’s Sunday sauce recipe.

As always, I urge you to eat fresh, done local and be happy.

LaGuardia Sunday Sauce

Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 3 hours Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

Sauce 2-3 tablespoons olive oil 6 Italian sausage links 1-2 pork neck bones 1 cup red wine 2 (28-ounce) cans Dei Fratelli tomato sauce 2 (28-ounce) cans Dei Fratelli tomato puree 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste 2 bay leaves Garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, dried parsley, to taste

Meatballs 1 pound 80/20 ground beef 1 egg ½ cup Italian-style breadcrumbs ½ cup grated Romano cheese Garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Start the sauce: Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Brown sausage and neck bones on all sides. Add red wine and simmer until reduced by half, scraping up any browned bits.

Build the base: Stir in tomato sauce, puree and paste, rinsing each can with a little water and adding it to the pot. Season generously and add bay leaves. Bring to a light boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.

Make the meatballs: Mix all meatball ingredients and form into balls.

Finish: Add raw meatballs to the sauce. Return to a gentle boil, then simmer covered for two hours and uncovered for another hour or more, stirring occasionally. The longer it cooks, the better it gets.

Serve: Remove bay leaves and bones. Toss some sauce with pasta and serve the remaining sauce and meats on the side.