Sunday Gravy And Baked Ziti Recipes

BAKED ZITI WITH EASY HOMEMADE ITALIAN GRAVY

Steps:

• Gravy (2 hours before dinner or as early as a few days before) in a medium bowl mix together . . . ground beef, 1 tsp dried parsley, 1/2 tsp dried basil, 1 clove garlic minced, 2 TBS Italian Flavored Bread Crumbs, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Mix with fork until evenly blended. Brown meat mixture in olive oil in a 5 qt sauce pan. When cooked almost through remove.
• Drain pan. Add 1 lb sausage. Brown well on all sides. Remove.
• Drain pan well. Saute 1/2 lb sliced slice fresh mushroom until slightly brown.
• Return sausage links and ground meat mixture to sauce pan. Add tomatoes, puree, 1 tsp parsley, 1 TBS basil, 1 clove minced garlic. Simmer 1 hour. Remove sausage, slice (1/4 ") return to pot. continue to simmer until ready to use.
• NEXT. Fill large pot with 5 quarts cold water. Bring to boil. Cook ziti according to package directions (al dente).
• While ziti is cooking mix together ricotta, 3/4 lb mozzarella, Romano and black pepper.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Drain ziti well. Place in 9X12 baking dish. Add cheese mixture blend well.
• With slotted spoon, remove 2-3 cups meat and mushrooms from gravy. Add to ziti. Add 1 cup extra sauce. Mix well. Top with remaining mozzarella. Cover. Bake 30 minutes. remove cover and baked another 5-10 minutes, until cheese melts and gets bubbly. You do not want it to brown.
• Also works well with medium sized shells.
• 1 cup sliced black olives may be added to recipe or substituted for mushrooms.

SUNDAY GRAVY AND BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• To make the sauce, heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about two minutes or until golden. Remove and discard the garlic. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
• With a food mill, puree the tomatoes, with their juice, into the pot. Or, for a chunkier sauce, just chop up the tomatoes and add them. Add the water and salt and pepper to taste. Add the pork, veal, and sausages and basil and bring the sauce to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little more water.
• Meanwhile, make the meatballs.
• Combine all the ingredients except the oil in a large bowl. Mix together thoroughly. Rinse your hands with cool water and lightly shape the mixture into 2-inch balls. (Note: If you are making meatballs for lasagna or baked ziti, shape the meat into tiny balls the size of a small grape.).
• Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet. Add the meatballs and brown them well on all sides. (They will finish cooking later.) Transfer the meatballs to a plate.
• After two hours, add the meatballs and cook for 30 minutes or until the sauce is thick and the meats very tender.
• Cook the ziti al dente, adding salt to taste.
• Drain ziti and toss in a large bowl with three cups of the sauce and half of the grated cheese.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spoon half of the ziti into a shallow baking dish. Spread the ricotta on top and sprinkle with the mozzarella and half of the remaining grated cheese. Pour on 1 cup of the sauce.
• Top with the remaining ziti and another cup of sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese. Cover with foil. Can be refrigerated at this point for later baking.
• Bake the ziti for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes longer until the center is hot and the sauce bubbles around the edge.
• Cover and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

SUNDAY GRAVY

Steps:

• In a casserole or stockpot, combine the ribs with enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain. In a 10-quart casserole set over moderate heat, warm the oil and cook the onions and garlic, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the ribs, braciole, and sausage and cook until they're browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, herbs, and salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Add the meatballs and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours more. The longer the cooking time, the more concentrated the gravy will be. When the gravy is almost done, cook the pasta according to the package directions, until al dente. Drain. Remove all of the meat from the sauce and put on a platter. Pour some of the sauce into a gravy boat to serve on the side. Add the pasta to the remaining sauce and toss with a little oil.
• Braciole (Stuffed Meat Rolls): Season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper to taste. In a bowl, combine the 1/2 cup Parmesan, garlic, and parsley. Divide the mixture among the meat slices, spreading it into an even layer, and roll up each slice to enclose the filling. Secure each roll with string or toothpicks.
• Meatballs: In a small bowl, combine the bread with enough milk to just cover and let the bread soak for 10 minutes. Squeeze dry and chop fine. In a bowl, combine the bread with the meat, garlic, parsley, Romano cheese, eggs, and salt and pepper to taste. Form into 12 to 14 meatballs, about 2 1/2 inches in diameter, and chill until ready to cook. In a large saucepan or casserole set over moderate, heat the oil until hot. Add the meatballs and cook them until they're browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes.

SUNDAY GRAVY

Steps:

• Break stale bread into very small pieces and add to a large bowl. Add beef, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and egg. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and use wet hands to roll mixture into meatballs.
• Heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown meatballs on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer meatballs to a platter. Add sausage and pork ribs to the skillet and brown, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to the platter with the meatballs.
• Heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil in an 8- to 10-quart pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and stir to combine. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add whole tomatoes and mash using a potato masher. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato puree; cook, stirring frequently.
• Add browned sausage and ribs to the pot. Stir in sugar, basil, bay leaf, and oregano. Cook until bubbling with lid ajar, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to lowest setting and cook, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, about 1 hour. Stir in red wine. Continue cooking about 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours more.
• Remove sauce from heat and cover. Let sit 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Return sauce to medium heat and add meatballs. Cook, stirring frequently, until bubbling, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to lowest setting until ready to serve.

BOLOGNESE SAUCE - SUNDAY GRAVY WITH MEAT

Steps:

• Using medium high heat preheat a large skillet that has been sprayed well with cooking spray or drizzled with enough olive oil to keep food from sticking.
• Add the chopped onion, carrots and celery to the hot pan and sauté until the carrots, celery and onions become tender and the onions become translucent, about 8 minutes.
• Add the meat and stir continuously to break up any large chunks.
• Once the meat is browned drain all fat and add sauce. Reduce heat to low and cook until the sauce thickens.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• This is great over pasta or in any recipe calling for spaghetti sauce. Wonderful garnished with grated parmesan cheese, chopped parsley and/or chopped basil.
• Note: For a little extra richness, add a pat of butter to your cooked pasta or directly to the sauce!

SOPRANO'S SUNDAY GRAVY (SPAGHETTI SAUCE)

Steps:

• To make the sauce, heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat.
• Pat the pork dry and put the pieces in the pot.
• Cook turning occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until nicely browned on all sides.
• Transfer pork to a plate.
• Brown the veal in the same way and add it to the plate.
• Place the sausages in the pot and brown on all sides.
• Set the sausages aside with the pork.
• Drain off most of the fat from the pot.
• Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes or until golden.
• Remove and discard the garlic.
• Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
• With a food mill (I use a Braun hand blender) puree the tomatoes, with their juice into the pot.
• Or for a chunkier sauce, just chop up the tomatoes and add them.
• Add the water; and salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the pork, veal, sausages, and basil and bring the sauce to a simmer.
• Partially cover the pot and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours.
• If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little more water.
• Meanwhile, make the meatballs: Combine all the ingredients except the oil in a large bowl.
• Mix together thoroughly.
• Rinse your hands with cool water and lightly shape the mixture into 2 inch balls.
• Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet.
• Add the meatballs and brown them well on all sides.
• They will finish cooking in the sauce.
• Transfer the meatballs to a plate.
• After the sauce has cooked for its two hours, add the meatballs and cook for 30 minutes or until the sauce is thick and the meats are very tender.
• To serve, remove the meats from the sauce and set aside.
• Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce.
• Sprinkle with cheese.
• Serve the meats as a second course, or reserve them for another day.

SUNDAY GRAVY (REAL ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE)AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• SAUCE: Heat oil in large heavy pot (use a seasoned pot if you have one). Place the pork in the pot and brown until just about cooked. Transfer pork to plate. Do the same with the sausage and transfer to plate. Leave fat in pot. Add whole peeled garlic cloves cook until tender. Put garlic on plate with meat and stir in tomato paste until "saucy". Chop up tomatoes leaving the tomato juice in the cans (I use my chopper) and add them to the pot.
• Then add 1/2 of one can of the juice to the pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the meats and garlic to the sauce and bring to a boil. Turn down to low and cook for about 1 1/2 hours. Leave the sauce on low and remove all the meat and garlic cloves.
• Mix all ingredients for meatballs and shape into balls. Add to sauce turn up just a little higher than low and let cook the raw meatballs until they are done (1/2 hour) THATS IT!
• Now this is an old recipe, but I have seen it in the sopranos cookbook and this is a bit different.
• I used this sauce to make the ziti al forno from the sopranos cookbook (Recipe #73939) and it was the most amazing thing I have ever eaten, so I posted that too.

ZITI AL FORNO (FROM THE SOPRANOS FAMILY COOKBOOK)

Steps:

• Put all the ziti in a large bowl.
• Toss ziti with 3 cups of the gravy and half of the grated cheese.
• Spoon half of the ziti into a casserole dish.
• Spread the ricotta over the top of the ziti.
• Sprinkle with the mozzarella and rest of grated cheese.
• Pour on 1 cup of sauce.
• Top with remaining ziti and rest of sauce (it will be almost overflowing) sprinkle with more grated cheese.
• Bake covered with foil for 45 minutes and then uncovered for 15 minutes.
• Let stand 15 minutes.
• Tell me immediately how it was!