Oh no, Jersey forced to make its own gravy (yes, I said ‘gravy’)

In what could be a scare of epic proportions in New Jersey, Ragu has voluntary recalled some of its pasta sauces because they may contain fragments of plastic. Do you know what that means??? We're going to have to make our own gravy!!! And that's what it's called gravy and you pour it over macaroni! Pasta and sauce are fugazy.

Once upon a time in Union City, you could walk down the street and smell the gravy coming from windows throughout the neighborhood, especially on a football Sunday. Heck, I remember the first day in the summer rental in Ortley Beach when, despite the fact that the house was locked up like an oven, my mother still made the gravy, which would be for the crabs that we never caught. One year she was so disgusted she made calamari out if the squid we used as bait.

Back then, people guarded their gravy recipes like their bank account numbers. You would never divulge your secret ingredients. Now people just make macaroni or should I say "pasta" and dump a jar of Ragu over the top. Somewhere up there my grandmother is shedding tear.

But if the Ragu gets recalled, what are we going to do? Here's what I do:

Cook the meatballs, sausage, pork butt, braciole, or whatever else you're going to put in with chopped onions and garlic, then drain the oil and add,

2 cans tomato paste plus 2 cans of water
1 can either crushed tomatoes or tomato puree
2 small cans tomato sauce

Then to taste add garlic salt, romano cheese, oregano, and fresh basil.

Let simmer for three hours adding the meat after two have passed.

Mangia!

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