Growing up and to this day, my siblings and I are often asked (like most Italian-Americans) why our pasta is so good. Our non-Italian friends could never get the same “goodness” at their own house. The answer was a simple, “we’re Italian.” and it sort of ended there. Fast forward to college where my house mates would purchase jarred tomato sauce at the grocery store to my disapproval and then to my surprise and outrage, they would LIKE IT! I of course would mumble, “che schifo” under my breathe. Brands like “Ragu” and “Prego” are not much different than a bottle of ketchup….. not to mention that as you probably know, “Prego” means “you’re welcome”. You’re welcome???? for what?! For ruining my pasta?

So while I was making sauce yesterday, I thought about it….. what’s the secret? I’ll tell you the secret. Some people add their own “this” and others add “that” and they swear by it. I have no doubt it’s a great sauce but the real secret is in the photo.

A- The tomato sauce is jarred every summer from local ripe tomatoes (nothing added, no preservatives…. just tomatoes)
B – The sausage was homemade the other day.

Try getting that at the grocery store.

It not the ingredients…. everyone knows what goes into a red sauce and if you don’t, you can easily find out by going online or reading a recipe book. It’s the quality of the ingredients that counts. Here in New England, you can find local, ripe tomatoes in late summer… period. The tomatoes you find at the grocery store this time of year came from far far away and when they left, they weren’t red (hope that’s not a surprise to anyone.) So if you have quality ingredients where you’re from…. beato te! and go out and make yourself a great sauce. Buon appetito!

PS- My “this” is a chicken bullion cube. Give it a try. What’s your this or that?