What do you put on your pasta: sauce or gravy??

[Jennasis]

If it's red or on pasta, it's sauce. If it's on meat or mashed potatoes, it's gravy. I'm both from NY and Italian, with grandparents right off the boat from Sicily who also said the same.

 

[lemondog]

I say sauce, but as an Italian girl, I should know better. It is gravy!

True Italians will call it gravy. My mom and all her family call it gravy (her dad's family was from Naples, Italy and many are still in the Chicago area, although we are the Nashville branch). I, being an American mutt, call it sauce with most people, but gravy around the Italian relatives.

 

[DVC Sadie]

I remember getting dissed, on these boards for calling it "red gravy". I happen to love "red gravy" and make up several batches at a time when my tomatoes come in. I grew up in New Orleans in a very Italian area and they all called it "red gravy".

 

[Sleepy]

True Italians will call it gravy. My mom and all her family call it gravy (her dad's family was from Naples, Italy and many are still in the Chicago area, although we are the Nashville branch). I, being an American mutt, call it sauce with most people, but gravy around the Italian relatives.

Given the fact that I live in Naples and everyone here calls it sauce, I guess the people here are not true Italians

 

[beattyfamily]

My grandma and mother who are from NJ and 100% Italian call it 'Gravy'. I have taken to calling it spaghetti sauce or pasta sauce or else my DDs don't know what I'm talking about.

 

[MareQ]

True Italians will call it gravy. My mom and all her family call it gravy (her dad's family was from Naples, Italy and many are still in the Chicago area, although we are the Nashville branch). I, being an American mutt, call it sauce with most people, but gravy around the Italian relatives.

True Italians for you call it gravy... DH's family is straight off the boat Italians - DH is the the first American born generation - he is American of Italian heritage.. The rest of the family are Italians living in America and it's sauce.

 

[Missy1961]

Given the fact that I live in Naples and everyone here calls it sauce, I guess the people here are not true Italians

 

[mugmunster]

And it's also fun to call it gravy because it seems to annoy everyone who calls it sauce.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

True Italians will call it gravy. My mom and all her family call it gravy (her dad's family was from Naples, Italy and many are still in the Chicago area, although we are the Nashville branch). I, being an American mutt, call it sauce with most people, but gravy around the Italian relatives.

My dad was born in Italy and lived there until he was 38 years old, and would never call it gravy. It's sauce. Growing up, we used to hang out with lots of Italian immigrants and first and second generation Italian-Americans and no one called it gravy. So while it may be called gravy in some areas, it has nothing to do with anyone's "true" heritage.

There was another thread like this a while back, and I remember it seemed to hinge on the Italian word "sugo", which doesn't translate exactly into any one English word, but means something like juice. When Nona got off the boat and made her first batch of sugo de carne (meat sauce), and someone called it gravy, it may have made sense, because Italian meat sauce gets it's juices from meat, and there is very little or no tomato in it. It sounds like some families may have carried that term over to meatless tomato-based sauces that go on pasta as well. Other families called it sauce or Ragu.

 

[minniecarousel]

OK - all you Italians who abhor jarred spaghetti sauce: care to share your "easy" from-scratch recipes? Every recipe I've ever seen includes canned ingredients - so what's the difference if you use a jarred sauce? And if you guys are making your sauce from fresh tomatoes - that does not constitute an easy (or quick) meal prep!

 

[mugmunster]

OK - all you Italians who abhor jarred spaghetti sauce: care to share your "easy" from-scratch recipes? Every recipe I've ever seen includes canned ingredients - so what's the difference if you use a jarred sauce? And if you guys are making your sauce from fresh tomatoes - that does not constitute an easy (or quick) meal prep!

The only thing from cans are tomatoe paste/tomatoes. The rest is all spices, meats, long cooking...you have to prepare your meatballs before you put it in the gravy....prepare whatever other meat you are choosing to add to the gravy...

it really is a Saturday morning to early afternoon process!

 

[Mrs.Toad]

And it's also fun to call it gravy because it seems to annoy everyone who calls it sauce.

Actually, I couldn't care less what you call it. I just get annoyed when people try to speak for "true" or "real" Italians. We're as varied as any other nationality.

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

As for jarred sauce (gravy), I am . It's so gross to me. Do people really like the taste? When I moved it with my husband, I threw all of his jars out. I told him jarred sauce will never cross the threshold again

I love jarred sauce. I am a tomato ONLY girl though, don't like meat in my pasta sauce. I like the Barilla sauce the best. I am good with veggies and such being in it, but no cream sauces (gag) or meat.

 

[Angelhalo]

OK - all you Italians who abhor jarred spaghetti sauce: care to share your "easy" from-scratch recipes? Every recipe I've ever seen includes canned ingredients - so what's the difference if you use a jarred sauce? And if you guys are making your sauce from fresh tomatoes - that does not constitute an easy (or quick) meal prep!

There's a HUGE difference between using canned fresh tomatoes and (what I think is) crapola jarred sauce.

I dont really have a recipe as I just do it off the top of my head...........

Here's my run through.

3 cans of tomato sauce
1 can of tomato paste
2 cans of petite diced tomatoes
1 package of sliced mushrooms. I used baby bellas
oregano
basil
parsley
garlic
sometimes I use a bay leaf, sometimes I don't
sometimes I add a little red wine, sometimes I don't
sometimes I add green peppers and onions, sometimes I don't
Add browned hamburger and browned italian sausage

That's pretty much it. I usually do crumbled meat in mine rather than meatballs, especially if there's a time issue.

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

OK - all you Italians who abhor jarred spaghetti sauce: care to share your "easy" from-scratch recipes? Every recipe I've ever seen includes canned ingredients - so what's the difference if you use a jarred sauce? And if you guys are making your sauce from fresh tomatoes - that does not constitute an easy (or quick) meal prep!

I was getting ready to ask this myself. I LOVE and I mean LOVE tomatoes, they are my #1 food item if I had to eat just one food for the rest of my life. So, how do you make a sauce with fresh tomatoes. I saw someone mention they make a lot when they are in season.

 

[Sleepy]

There was another thread like this a while back, and I remember it seemed to hinge on the Italian word "sugo", which doesn't translate exactly into any one English word, but means something like juice. When Nona got off the boat and made her first batch of sugo de carne (meat sauce), and someone called it gravy, it may have made sense, because Italian meat sauce gets it's juices from meat, and there is very little or no tomato in it. It sounds like some families may have carried that term over to meatless tomato-based sauces that go on pasta as well. Other families called it sauce or Ragu.

Sugo means sauce. Even the tv shows that advertise laundry detergent spill tomato sauce on a shirt and call it sugo (the word is written). Succo is the word for juice. Hope this helps.

 

[Missy1961]

The only thing from cans are tomatoe paste/tomatoes. The rest is all spices, meats, long cooking...you have to prepare your meatballs before you put it in the gravy....prepare whatever other meat you are choosing to add to the gravy...

it really is a Saturday morning to early afternoon process!

I was going to say the exact same thing! I love making sauce, and the house smells so good while I'm doing it.

 

[Angelhalo]

I DO make it from scratch scratch with fresh tomatoes when I have time, but the "recipe" I posted above usually takes me like 10-15 minutes.

 

[suzimar57]

red sauce on pasta - brown gravy on meat/mashed potatoes

 

[Mrs.Toad]

Sugo means sauce. Even the tv shows that advertise laundry detergent spill tomato sauce on a shirt and call it sugo (the word is written). Succo is the word for juice. Hope this helps.

But sugo is also used for meat juices, isn't it? That's why I said it doesn't translate exactly. Americans wouldn't call meat juices "sauce".