Nona’s Gravy (Bolognase)

Nona's Gravy

A long-simmered meat sauce inspired by my grandmother's Sunday gravy — pureed vegetables for body, two kinds of meat, and enough volume to feed a family of five for several meals.

Prep20 min

Cook2+ hours

Yield~16 servings

CoursePasta sauce

CuisineItalian-American

Ingredients

Vegetable Base

• 4 small onions (or 1 large)
• 1–2 lbs carrots (more carrots = more sweetness, less need for sugar; also a good filler)
• 3 celery stalks
• 4 portabella mushroom caps (or dried mushrooms, white mushrooms, whatever you have)
• ½ bunch parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 4 tablespoons olive oil

Meat & Sauce

• 3 lbs ground beef (whatever fat content you prefer)
• 1 lb Italian sausage (homemade or store-bought)
• 1 large can chopped tomatoes
• 3 small cans tomato paste (or 1 large)
• About 1 cup wine — anything from zinfandel to Chianti to plum wine works
• About 2 cups water (beef broth is better if you have it)

Seasonings

• About 1 tablespoon salt, plus more to taste
• Black pepper, several shakes
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
• Granulated garlic, to taste

Instructions

1. Clean and roughly chop the onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms, parsley, and garlic. Puree everything together in a blender or food processor.
2. Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot. Add the pureed vegetables and cook for about 10 minutes.
3. Add all the meat at once, stir it through the vegetables, and let it cook about 20 minutes.
4. Add the wine, water (or broth), tomato paste, and chopped tomatoes. Stir in the salt, pepper, basil, and Italian seasoning.
5. Cover and simmer on low for about 2 hours, stirring well every 30 minutes.
6. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. After each addition, let the sauce cook another 30 minutes before tasting again.
7. If it gets too thick, loosen with more water, broth, or wine. Even better, let it sit overnight on low and simmer down further.
8. Serve over pasta.

Wine substitute: If you don't cook with wine, use balsamic vinegar instead — same general effect, but use a little less than you would wine.

Yield and cost: A batch this size feeds a family of five for about four meals — roughly $2 per person per serving including pasta.

Why "gravy": Some Italian-American families call meat pasta sauce "gravy" rather than sauce. My family did, and I'm not entirely sure why.

By William Bayne, inspired by my grandmother's recipe.