Aunt Dolly's Italian Spaghetti Gravy Recipe

Spaghetti "Gravy"

Tasting Comments:

Me: I checked twice prior to including the carrots. Too many carrots.
Second Opinion: I like the taste of just hamburger.
Third Opinion:

I have tasted this recipe when others made it. I have tasted this when I made it.
The taste is unique. But I happen to like McCormick's instant Spaghetti powdered
mix the best. Just one of those weird things, I guess.



First, Aunt Dolly's recipe has the best ground beef/tomato paste/water ratio. It is just about right. When made, it is fluffy, light, and just the right consistency. I only withdrew a little water during the cooking process, as I like my sauce extra thick... but most everyone would be pleased
with the sauce without the removal of any liquid.

I especially enjoyed the aspect of cooking the meat together for 30 minutes with the wine... I think it tenderized the meat separately without mushing the veggies. Only trouble is, it is the veggies that give it that distinctive flavor. She has a lopsided french trinity in the mix. (French trinity being celery, carrots, and onions.) As for the garlic, I doulbed the garlic and it was just fine.

The spices could include more basil, as well as enjoy the addition of thuyme, sage and a few others. There isn't even a bay leaf here. I miss the taste of bay leaf.

But all in all, when you begin to change the spices and remove ingredients, you have changed the recipe from Aunt Dolly's. It is the combination of carrots, wine, and the balance of other vegetables which makes this dish taste unique.

Ingredients include:

3 ribs of celery, chopped
1/2 bunch of fresh parsley, (I used flat leaf, italian)
5 medium onions
4 medium carrots (I think this is too much, 1 one be fine)
6 cloves garlic
6 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
4 packages of dry mushrooms, rehydrated. (I used 16 oz of mushrooms ground to smitherines
in the food processor. Worked out fine. Besides, there is no indication of SIZE of packages in original recipe. So who knows.)
4 Tablespoons butter
3 pounds of ground chuck
1 pound chicken gizzards
1/4 Tablespoon rosemary, crushed
1/2 Tablespoon dried sweet basil
3 cans tomato paste (12 oz. Each)
6 cans of water (12. oz each ... But I only used 4 cans of water)
1 can 15 oz Tomato Sauce with herbs
1 can 15 oz water
1 cup red wine
Salt and Pepper

Grind the celery, parsley, onions and mushrooms in a food processor

Saute the garlic in oil and butter until soft and dry. Remove from pan.

Remove sausage from casings and grind with chicken.

Add the above sausage mixture, along with the ground beef to the pan. Saute

Well until brown. Then, add wine. Cook on low for about 30 minutes.

Last, add tomato paste, water, garlic and herb mixture. THEN, add tomato sauce and simmer for about 3 hours on low to meld the flavors.

There are more directions, but this just about covers it.