Macaroni and Gravy, Part I

I think it's about time to reveal the sauce recipe. The long one that I never get to make because, well, who (especially someone as impatient as me) has that amount of time to stand around and stare at a simmering pot. I took a risk, and left the pot on to cook while I went to work with the plan that 1) Hillary was going to be home 2 hours after I left, and 2) only after calling a couple of the firefighters on Station 40 and asking them to listen for my address, stating that any smoke alarms would, in fact, be a true fire.
The combination of the different textures of the tomatoes makes for a more complete sauce that doesn't taste too dry or monotone.

I continue to use canned tomatoes against better judgement, because my tomato "crops" yielded no more than one appetizer sided portion for a caprese salad.

We calculated that the tomatoes I gardened cost me approximately $50 each. Better luck next year.

Recipe of the Day: Red Sauce (Long Version)
1/2 stick butter
1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced
3-28oz cans petite diced tomatoes
2-28 oz cans crushed tomatoes in puree
1-29 oz can tomato puree
1-29 oz can tomato sauce

Before simmering seasonings:
1 tsp each: salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried basil
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup good red wine

After simmering seasonings:
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf


Melt butter in a large pot, and cook onions for 5 minutes until softened and turning translucent.

Add the contents of all of the canned tomatoes (7 in total, pictured above)....

...and bring to a boil over medium. Add the "before simmering seasonings" listed above and stir to incorporate. Reduce heat to warm/low, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

Cook for 5 hours, then add "after simmering seasonings" and cook for another hour. At that point, the sauce is ready to use however you wish. We used it to cook meatballs and sausage in, to make sausage heroes.