Recipes: Verdone Family Pasta Sauce

The Verdone Family Pasta Sauce

Serves 10-12   Prep Time: 30 min.  Cook Time: 4-6 hr.

Ingredients 

 - 2 cups olive oil

 - 35-40 medium tomatoes

(or 1 can puree, 1 can paste, and 1 can whole tomatoes for the cheaters)

 - ½ lb. Top Round steak, cubed

 - 1 lb. Sweet Italian sausage

 - ½ lb. Pork loin country style ribs, cut off the bone and cubed

 - 1 whole white onion, chopped

 - 2 whole cloves garlic, chopped

 - ½ sprig Italian parsley, chopped

 - 1 spring basil, chopped

Steam about 12 tomatoes with water and 2 tablespoons of basil for 15 minutes. This can be done any number of ways. I prefer a collapsible steamer.

Puree about 24 tomatoes. This can be achieved with the Roma by Weston Manual Sauce Maker & Food Strainer as I did, the Roma by Weston La Petite Sauce Maker & Food Strainer, or the Roma by Weston Electric Tomato Strainer & Sauce Maker.
Put half of the puree into a pot immediately and cook quickly, close to a boil until the paste is your desired consistency.

While the puree is reducing, brown the pork, beef, and sausage in a sauce pan with olive oil. Put half of the onion and garlic into the pan with the meats.

Once the paste is reduced, stir in the rest of the onion and garlic, tomato puree, meats (do not drain your oil - it’s essential to the sauce’s flavor), parsley and the remaining basil. Bring the sauce to a boil and then simmer for four hours or more.